


Champion of Sakaar

by TiredScienceBro



Series: Mad Scientists, Monsters [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Frostmaster, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce and Valkyrie friendship, Bruce wakes up as normal on Sakaar, Flashbacks, Grandmaster - Freeform, Grandmaster spoils the Hulk, Hulk Feels, Hulk Needs a Hug, Hulk Smash, Hulk and Valkyrie BFFs, Hulk and Valkyrie friendship, Hulk in a hot tub, Light Angst, Multi, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, POV Bruce Banner, POV Hulk (Marvel), POV Tony Stark, Rated For Violence, Sakaar (Marvel), Stark Tower, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is still on earth, What happened if Bruce woke up early on Sakaar, arena fighting, background science bros, frostmaster, thor ragnarok - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-22 20:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 78,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13174602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiredScienceBro/pseuds/TiredScienceBro
Summary: The Hulk finds himself on Sakaar, ready to prove that he's the strongest fighter in the Contest of Champions. With the help of his new friend, Scrapper 142 - a small woman who bares a resemblance to his old Avenger friend, Thor - the Hulk is ready to take on the challenges laid before him by The Grandmaster.Things become more challenging, however, when Bruce wakes up on this strange planet alone with no explanation of how he got here. Is Sakaar where they belong, surrounded by people who adore the Hulk? Or is there still a place back on Earth alongside Tony and the other Avengers?While Bruce and the Hulk navigate this bizarre new planet, Tony remains on earth alone, trying to discover why Bruce disappeared without a trace.An AU in which Bruce wakes up from being the Hulk on Sakaar earlier than expected.





	1. A Rough Landing

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm glad to finally begin this work that I have been planning since I saw Ragnarok.  
> I wrote a prologue chapter [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13025544) that establishes Bruce and Tony's relationship in this universe. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> UPDATE (02/12/19): First few chapters are currently being edited for spelling and grammar.

Lights flashed, alarms sounded, the Quinjet was spiralling out of control. Outside the windows was a display of colour and stars unlike the Hulk had ever seen. The loud alarms combined with the insistent glowing red messages on all the screens were becoming overbearing. Hulk knew that even if the tiny jet crashed he would be fine but regardless he held to the pilot's chair as the jet nosedived. As the alarms rang and lights flashed Hulk pulled himself forwards towards the central control panel, his first instinct was to just smash the displays until the noise and flashing stopped but somewhere at the back of his mind Banner begged him not to. Suddenly the sky outside changed, what was the black vista of space suddenly transformed into brilliant purple and orange clouds before becoming a dusky pink and orange sky. 

Relinquishing the tiniest amount of control Hulk let a moment of clarity from Banner guide him to hit a button on the control panel. A robotic voice announced auto-pilot engaged and the jet began leveling out. With a bump the jet landed heavily and debris crashed over the front of the jet. The interior went dark as the nose of the jet embedded itself in what appeared to be all sorts of rubbish.

The rear door of the jet opened and Hulk eagerly but cautiously made his way out to investigate wherever it was that he had landed.

This wasn't earth, Hulk could smell the difference in the air. _Good_. Earth didn't want Hulk and he didn't want them either. He had never been on another planet before although he had often stared up at the stars, entranced by their mystery and beauty. Hulk knew Banner liked that kind of thing too but he felt a swell of pride at having been the one clever enough to bring them somewhere apart from earth. Banner was supposed to be the smart one but he had never achieved such a feat. Just one of the reasons why Hulk was superior to Banner. 

This new location was an assault to the Hulk's senses, falling from the sky all around was debris, landing in huge piles as far as he could see from his own mountain of trash which the Quinjet was now embedded in.

There were wormholes in the sky, similar to the one of New York all those years ago, they appeared to be where all this rubbish was coming from. One of the portals was huge, much more impressive and ominous looking than the others. Banner would know what it was, Hulk didn’t care. 

Then in the distance, illuminated against the setting sun, was a city. It wasn't dull and grey like the ones he was used to, it was brightly colored and stood much taller. Little spaceships buzzed all around it. Hulk grinned, perfect. 

He spared a glance back at the Quinjet, the rear door still wide open and the lights from within glowing, but feeling Banner surge in his mind made him turn away and focus on the task at hand. Find the biggest thing in that city and smash it. 

He began to set out when the whir of a ship engine from above interrupted him. It was unlike any he had seen on earth before, more intricate in design, more guns. That wouldn’t make it any harder to rip apart though if it came too close. Suddenly the ship turned sharply in front of him, bright lights blaring in his face so he was blinded by them. He roared in anger at this hostile turn of events and threw his eyes up to block out the light. Something flew out of a compartment in the ship and propelled itself towards him. Hulk made to smack it away as it flew towards him but it suddenly burst open and revealed itself to be a net, tangling around him and starting to emit an electric pulse that did little more than tickle him. He pulled at the net, easily shredding it to pieces. 

Wasting no time after freeing himself from the net, he leapt at the ship, determined to tear it to pieces and find whatever was inside piloting the it. Landing hard on the windshield he felt the ship wobble under him, struggling to stay in the air with this much weight on it, the pilot had clearly underestimated the Hulk's ability to jump. Raising his fist he sent it smashing through the glass windshield as the ship began to veer side to side in an obvious attempt to shake him off. 

Looking through the glass as his hand searched around for the pilot of the ship he saw that the only occupant was a small woman, she wasn't scared as he had expected her to be, instead she looked merely annoyed. Her steely gaze met him and she threw the controls hard to the left causing the ship to roll over and the Hulk's weight pull it to the ground. As they fell he scrambled to get a grip on any part of the tiny girl that he could, but she was quick. He roared in anger at her as she jumped to the underside of the ship, sliding a hatch open so she could escape out the falling craft. 

The Hulk hit the ground hard with the ship crashing hard against him and pushing him further into the dirt. It was heavy and hot on top of him but he didn't hurt in the slightest. With all of his might he lifted the ship off of himself and sent it hurtling over head. He turned, the girl was still there, mouth hanging open as she watched her ship fall to the ground in a wreck. 

"Do you know how long it took me to pay for that?!" she yelled at him.  
Hulk merely roared at her in response and laughed. Then, quick as lightning, she threw something towards him but he simply swatted it out of the air like an insect. She raised her eyebrow, a sign she was impressed, not angry. Hulk had never seen anyone not be angry, or scared, at him displaying his strength. He was already starting to like this little girl.

The dove at one another, Hulk grabbed one of her arms but bracing herself she twisted and sent him flying over her shoulder into the ground. He lashed out with his foot, kicking her square in the chest and sending her flying into a pile of rubbish. He pulled himself up off the ground and exhaled heavily, wiping the sweat off his brow. 

She had never stood a chance against him. Turning to once again make his way towards the city a noise made him turn back around, but it was too late, the girl had re-appeared and her fist made contact with his face sending him flying back and landing hard on the ground. Only one other person had managed to punch Hulk this hard with their bare hands before, the long haired Avenger, Thor. If this was the standard of fighter on this planet than Hulk looked forward to the competition, too long he had dominated over those weak humans. 

"Girl strong," Hulk observed, pulling himself out of a pile of rubble.

She grinned at hearing this. "Time to give up then. Before I embarrass you more," she called across to him.

He lept at her again, closing the gap between them fast. She didn’t make a move until the last second, diving at the ground and sliding under him, his hand inches from grabbing her. Then she was behind him, seizing his neck and pulling herself up to his shoulder height. He tried to shake her off but she clung tight refusing to let herself be thrown off. The Hulk’s heightened sense of smell told him that she even smelled like Thor.

Then she slapped him hard on the side of the neck, he felt a tiny stabbed of something she was attempting to push into his neck, but it wouldn’t penetrate his thick skin. He roared in discomfort and managed to reach around and seize her by the ankle before throwing her effortlessly away from him. 

He reached up and put his hand on his neck, feeling the spot where she had attempted to insert something into his neck. A tracker perhaps? People had wanted to put a tracker in Banner before but that was a point that both Banner and he agreed on. No trackers. 

He watched again as the girl pulled herself up off the ground. He had to hand it to her, she was tough being able to stand up to this much punishment. 

“You’re made of strong stuff,” she wheezed as she pulled herself up. She stumbled uneasily on her feet as she stood. “You’re perfect.”

Hulk didn’t know this word. He tilted his head in confusion. 

“It means, you’re the best…” she begun clearly aware he didn’t understand. “The strongest? The best suited for the contest of champions,” she explained, but then her expression changed. She shrugged and turned to start walking away from him. Hulk had ever had anyone walk away from fighting him before. “Actually,” she called over her shoulder. “It’s not you’re kind of thing. Forget it.” 

Not only was the Hulk angered at her walking away from him, he was angry at the idea that being the strongest of most perfect, wasn’t something that would interest him. "Hulk strongest!" he boasted. "No one stronger than Hulk!"

He flexed and lowered himself, ready to run dive and prevent her from leaving. 

"How about you prove it?" she said, turning with a triumphant look on her face. 

Hulk didn’t need to be told twice, he began to run at her but she threw up her hands.

"Woah, woah, not with me,” she cautioned quickly. He slowed himself, digging his heels into the ground. “See that city?" She stated pointing to skyline in the distance. He turned and looked before giving her an intrigued look. 

"In that city is an arena, where only the strongest fighters in the universe compete against each other to be titled champion, the strongest fighter in the universe. Only the best survive."

"Hulk strongest!" he yelled once again. 

"Yeah, you mentioned,” she said rolling her eyes. “Why don't you come with me? I'll handle all the difficult boring stuff and you just-"

"Smash?" Hulk asked.

She shrugged and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, basically.”

"Hulk go with little girl," he decided. "Hulk prove Hulk strongest. Smash everyone else.” 

"Well, Big Guy, you busted my ride,” she observed looking over at the wreckage of her ship. “So we better take yours." 

She made her way towards the Quinjet, not even looking back to see if he was following. Hulk glanced between the girl and the city on the horizon. Normally he wasn’t in the business of playing nice with others but this place was new and foreign to him. Perhaps he would let follow the small strong girl for the time being. Besides, as long as he kept himself and Banner in a situation that puny Banner didn’t like, the Hulk would be able to remain in control.


	2. Alone In His Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He [Tony] rolled over and stretched his hand out to the other side of the bed, rubbing his hand gently over the sheets, it was the last place the two of them had been alone together._
> 
>  
> 
> Tony returns to Stark tower after the battle of Sokovia and remembers the final private moment he and Bruce shared before Bruce's disappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of three planned Tony chapters taking place back on Earth. Enjoy!

Everything ached, finally home was within reach after Tony had dealt with the Sokovia post-mission debrief and then run the media gauntlet on behalf of the Avengers.

Now he wanted nothing more right now than to collapse into his bed in the penthouse at the top of Stark Tower and sleep for a week. A thought struck him on his way there, perhaps if he was lucky he would return to find Bruce, hidden away in his apartment awaiting his return, content to live in secret alongside Tony away from the prying eyes of the media and other Avengers. 

Tony laughed at himself at the mere idea of such a fantasy. He had to admit though, Bruce had a way of evoking such a hopeless romantic side within him. It had been several days since the confrontation at Sokovia and there was still no sign of Bruce or the Hulk.

He arrived back at the tower, hastily making his way from the garage to the elevator. "Jarvi- I mean, Friday?" That was still going to take some getting used to. 

"Yes Mr. Stark?" the new A.I responded but with nowhere near the same amount of charm as its predecessor. 

"Is Doctor Banner in the building by any chance?"

"No sir, no one by that name is currently on the premises."

"You sure? No giant green Hulk's hiding in the guest bathroom?"

"No sir, but should I inform you if such an event occurs?"

Tony laughed at the thought. "Yes, Friday, let's make Hulks hiding in bathrooms a high alert scenario."

He stepped out of the elevator into his apartment, making his way into his bedroom. "News or footage, key words: Hulk or Doctor Bruce Banner," he announced as he pulled off his jacket and shirt. A holo-screen next to his bed lit up but it read 'Zero Results Found'.

 _Just be patient_ , he told himself as he stared at the screen, _the big guy will wear himself out soon and Bruce will come home._

As he collapsed onto the familiar bed he tried to force himself to believe it. He knew deep down however, that there was the chance that Bruce wouldn't return. The perfect opportunity had presented itself for him to run and he had seemingly taken it. Tony still didn't know which one, the Hulk or Bruce, had been the one to cut communications from the jet and leave without a trace.

If only he had gotten back on the ground quicker. By the time he had landed and returned to the heli-carrier the Quinjet was long gone along with the Hulk and Banner. Tony cursed himself for his impeccable stealth technology which had made the jet impossible to track. There was the possibility the jet had crashed into the ocean, Fury suggested to them that Bruce had simply swum to Fiji. Tony shook his head at the idea of Bruce laying in the sun on a tropical beach while Tony sat here waiting for him. The thought didn't sit right with him, he couldn't imagine Bruce being that selfish. 

He hoped for his own sanity that it had been the Hulk who had taken the opportunity to run because he didn't know what he would do if he discovered that it was Bruce who made the active decision to leave. Had Tony come on too strong, scared Bruce away with his sudden bursts of affection? Bruce had never shown that he was uncomfortable with it, he had even returned the affection. Perhaps he had been playing Tony this entire time? Just keeping him quiet so that Tony wouldn't suspect that he was planning to leave after all, easier for him to just vanish than admit it in person. People always left Tony in the end anyway, this was no different. 

He rolled over and stretched his hand out to the other side of the bed, rubbing his hand gently over the sheets, it was the last place the two of them had been alone together.

 

***

Steve had instructed them to prepare for their fight with Ultron, gather what they needed before heading to the jet. Tony had dragged Bruce upstairs with him into his bedroom to find the both suitable outfits to wear into what could possibly be their final battle. 

Tony made his way into his large walk in wardrobe. He pulled a skin tight long sleeved shirt over his head that he often wore inside his Iron Man suit. Looking over the racks he found a suitable shirt and thick thermal hoodie for Bruce, no doubt it would be cold in Sokovia. 

Returning to the bedroom he found Bruce sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. 

"Up," Tony commanded, taking Bruce's elbow gently and urging him to rise. As Bruce did so he looked Tony in the eyes, concern clearly on his face. 

"Tony, I don't think I should go with you."

Tony smiled warmly and raised his hand up to cup Bruce's face gently. "We had this conversation at Clint's farm, I told you, you-"

"No, it's not that. It's something else," Bruce interrupted. "I've been meaning to tell someone but I was afraid- afraid to admit it to myself."

"Well, luckily, I'm not afraid of anything. Except perhaps, the total destruction of the planet at the hands of a -as you call it- murder bot, along with other things like my own self-destructive tendencies, being alone and un-loved, horses and - 

"Tony please," Bruce held up a hand to silence him, "this is important."

Tony stopped talking and nodded for Bruce to continue. 

"It's the Hulk," Bruce stated nervously, clearly uncomfortable about what he was trying to say. 

Tony sat on the side of the bed, reaching out and pulling Bruce down alongside him to sit. 

"The last few times I transformed... Something's been, different. Like the Big Guy has been putting up more of a fight than usual when it comes to transforming back. It's hard to explain, but I know him and well..."

"It's okay, Tony soothed, rubbing an assuring hand along Bruce's thigh. "You don't have to try and explain it." 

"I'll be useless in Sokovia, I don't want a code green so what's the point- I'll just get in the way. "

"You don't have to turn green," Tony stated, looking into his eyes. "In fact, I don't want you turning green under any circumstances, well except perhaps if Ultron shoots me out of the sky and you have to save my falling ass again. Or you know, just let me fall to my death, whatever, I understand."

Bruce smiled softly and raised an eyebrow. "It would guarantee I'd get some peace and quiet in lab again," Bruce said in his usual deadpan manner but with a faint smirk on his face. 

Tony laughed, no matter how upset or melancholy Bruce appeared to be he was always capable of firing back with a joke at Tony's expense. A trait Tony was helplessly smitten by. 

"It's so nice to hear just how much you care about me. Why not just take me up to the roof now and push me off? Save Ultron the trouble," Tony retorted in mock seriousness. Then they were laughing together, the reality of what was ahead of them forgotten for a few seconds while they simply sat on the bed wrapped up in only themselves.

Then once the laughter had died off and they sat in silence and Tony leaned across to Bruce, kissing him with as much intensity as he dared. Bruce hesitated at first but was soon returning the kiss with equal force. Then, being hit with a sudden burst of clarity, Tony realized something. He pushed away from Bruce whose face suddenly turned to concern as to why Tony had broken away.

"I'm quitting the Avengers," Tony blurted out. It was something he had been considering for a while and this whole ordeal with the creation of Ultron and now this potential future with Bruce at his side had made him realize, yes, this was what he wanted. 

Bruce looked taken aback, clearly he had not been expecting this. "You're quitting?"

"Yes," Tony reassured him. "Once this fight with Ultron is over I'm done. You've been feeling the same for a while now, I know you have so, let's quit together."

"But, you're Iron Man," Bruce stammered, clearly unaware of how to respond to this sudden revelation. 

"And you're the Incredible Hulk," Tony threw back. "We're the two originals, well, not including Cap before he became the Capcicle. We've done our time, and I don't know if you've noticed, but those Enhanceds, Demi-gods and that _Vision_ that you and I just created, they're the future. I don't even _want_ to try and keep up with them." 

"Tony this is..." 

"I've built a new facility upstate. A new head quarters for the Avengers and I'm moving them all out there. Then the tower will be mine, _ours_ ," Tony's voice dropped, suddenly realize exactly what he was saying. "If you'll stay with me," he added, he should probably give Bruce a say in this. Bruce however just stared as Tony fumbled over his words, a small smile creeping over his, not offering any response, instead content to watch Tony struggle with what the exact implications of this invitation were. Tony couldn't take Bruce's lack of response so just kept talking to try and fill the silence.

"Or we can go down Barton's path, buy a remote farm somewhere, get some chickens and a tractor... that could be, _fun_." Tony heard the doubt rising in own voice as he reached the end of the sentence but finally Bruce's hand reached out to Tony's face and turned it so they were looking at each other once again.

"Here is just fine," Bruce whispered as he leant in and placed a soft kiss on Tony's lips. 

***

Tony snapped out of his reminiscing and drew his hand back from the empty half of the bed. They had not had the opportunity to speak after that with the ensuing chaos of everything that happened in Sokovia. Tony had sent Bruce down to find Natasha, promising that he would just have to get her out and then he could help citizens with the evacuation and any medical assistance he could provide. Something had happened though, in the depths of the Sokovian hideout, and Tony had been shocked, but somewhat selfishly relieved, to see the Hulk sailing through the air smashing every Ultron drone he could get his hands on. If it were not for the assistance from the Hulk they would not have been able to overcome Ulton's army. 

He had searched for the Hulk after the fight, trying to be by Bruce's side when he woke up, but Tony had never found either of them, a fact that he had been beating himself up about ever since. He should have tried to protect Bruce more, Bruce had even tried to tell him that something was making the transformations back more difficult. Bruce had trusted him with that information and Tony hadn't listened. Tony knew Bruce's transformation into the Hulk was inevitable at Sokovia, he knew Bruce wouldn't have been able to stand back and simply watch when things got out of hand but Tony should have done something, _anything_ to help him. 

_Pull yourself together_ , he thought to himself. He was starting to dislike how badly Bruce was affecting him, he hated feeling this vulnerable. 

He sighed, it was just a matter of waiting now. How long could it possibly be, a week, two perhaps, _a month at most_ and Bruce would show back up at the tower or contacting him from some tropical beach. Maybe the Big Guy would get restless and inadvertently give their location away, then Tony could go and pick him up personally and bring Bruce back or take him somewhere else, somewhere they could relax together. With the others all living in the new facility upstate Bruce and Tony would have the Tower to themselves just like he had promised. He couldn't think of anything he wanted more in the world right now than that. 

_Patience_ , he told himself again. It's not like Bruce had vanished off the face of the Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> The next chapter will be back on Sakaar.


	3. A Grand Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _With every defeated enemy came the delight disembodied voice of the announcer filling the stadium and encouraging the crowd to cheer for him. The Hulk was having more fun than he had ever had in his life. He had always reveled in smashing and destroying things but now he was being praised by thousands of people while doing so._

As the Quinjet hurtled towards the alien city the Hulk stared out at the passing landscape. It had an unusual quality to it, there was rubbish and debris everywhere but no one appeared to be cleaning it up. He could see people below, dressed in ragged yet brightly colored clothes and painted skin, they carried weapons of all manner and picked through the rubbish. 

"Scrappers," the girl announced, clearly aware that he was looking down at them. "Searching for artifacts to present to the Grandmaster as gifts in hope to win some favor with him." 

"What, Grandmaster?" the Hulk asked.

"The guy in charge, the first and the last, the father of all lost and found," the girl answered with a laugh. "Well, that's what the sales pitch says anyway. Really he's just an eccentric old child with far too much free time on his hands. He's the one who runs the tournament." She looked over and eyed the Hulk up and down. "He's going to love you." 

"No one love Hulk," he responded, looking away from her and back out the window. "Earth hate Hulk, not even Banner like Hulk." 

"Well, I don't know what either of those things are but trust me, I can tell already, you're going to be his new favorite."

Hulk looked back and caught a wicked grin on the girls face. Hulk wasn't sure what she was so happy about but he certainly liked the sound of it. The Hulk had never been anyone's favorite anything. 

"Urgh, these controls are so primitive," she complained, clearly searching for something on the control panel. 

They had reached the city now, The buildings were tall, taller than any on Banner's planet. Spaceships whizzed by Hulk could see a variety of different looking beings as they flew past balconies and landing pads.

"People look different" Hulk grunted out. 

The woman glanced sideways at him, observing him up and down."Didn't think you were the only one who's green did you?" she asked curiously. 

The Hulk considered this, on Earth he was the only one who was green, the only one who was considerably different to the small humans. He had always thought he was the only one who was different, but now it appeared that was the opposite of true. The sun had almost finished setting now and ahead of them was a huge structure, lights pouring out of it with all manner of spaceships hovering over the top of it. 

"Ah, finally, here it is!" The girl exclaimed, having finally found the controls she was looking for. 

Once on the ground they climbed out, Hulk could hear a loud noise. Like screaming, but not scared like he was used to, it sounded, happy. 

"The fighting has already started, we better get a move on." the girl announced, pulling his hand to beckon him forward. He allowed her to lead him along. Ahead he could see two small men, dressed in what looked like armor guarding the entrance to the building. 

"Hold it" the guards said "No entry once the games have started. Join the crowd with everyone else."

The girl rolled her eyes. "I'd like to know what the Grandmaster would think of you denying me and his new champion from entering." 

"Didn't take you as one to hide behind the Grandmaster's skirts," The guard joked. "And this thing?" The guard indicated the Hulk, shaking his head. "Champion? I don't think so-"

He didn't finish his sentence as he sailed into the nearby wall, a skull shattering crack sounding out as he made contact with it. 

"Too much talking!" Hulk bellowed, his fist hovering in the air where the guards head had just been. He was starting to grow restless, it had been too long without doing anything physical, he needed to start hitting something.

The woman raised her eyebrow at the second guard who held his hands up defensively and stepped back allowing them to enter. 

"Smart decision" she said, leading the way inside. Hulk laughing as he followed. 

 

Once inside the Hulk saw there were weapons and armor lined around the room. He observed them as the small girl went across to speak to another man. He held up a tiny Banner sized sword and bent it in half effortlessly before tossing it away. There was nothing here large enough for him, not that he needed anything, his hand's were sufficient for whatever he needed to destroy.  
He looked over to see the girl slipping something into the other man's hand before she beckoned him over. 

"They're going to let you fight tonight. Grab anything you want and let's go." The Hulk turned and looked back over the various racks but shook his head. 

"Hulk not need anything. Hulk use hands." 

"Your choice" she said with a shrug and gestured for him to follow. They made their way down another corridor. 

"Hulk smash yet?" He asked looking at her. 

"Nearly."

As they made their way down the corridor he could smell the scent of blood becoming stronger, and the loud screaming like noises were becoming louder. Something animalistic stirred within him. He could feel the scent of blood and the screaming causing adrenaline to being surging within him. They came to a closed door, heavily bolted shut but Hulk knew he could break through it if needed. 

"Here we are, once this door opens go out there and show them what your made of."

"Girl come too?" Hulk asked curiously. 

"Oh, no. I'm not a fighter. But I'll watch. Don't embarrass me and I'll see you after your fight." 

She turned and started walking away. 

"Little girl good fighter," Hulk called after her. She stopped and turned to look back at him, smiling slightly. "Little girl one of best fighters Hulk know."

"Whatever," she responded dismissively before walking away. 

He could hear the roar of a crowd on the other side of the door, then after a particularly loud swell of cheering things went quiet and a loud single voice could be head. 

"Wow, ladies and gentleman, wasn't that beautiful, now, uh, let's give it up for the next victim, I mean, contender!" 

The metal door scraped and squealed as it opened and light flooded into the tunnel causing the Hulk to put his arm up to shield his eyes from the sudden exposure. The cheering was deafening as he stepped out into the light, trying to get a sense of bearings, it was overwhelming and he let out a roar of anger unable to comprehend exactly what was happening. 

His roar echoed through the stadium around him and he heard the crowd of people hush as they all stared at him. He was starting to become agitated, defensive, this was how it usually went and it wouldn't be long before they all started running away from him out of fear. Had the girl led him into a trap after all? His breathing was heavy and searched for a target to channel his rage into.  
But then the crowd erupted with cheers, the sounded, happy? Pleased? That wasn't right, normally people's cheers were one of fear, or anger, not happiness. He roared again, louder this time so the people knew just how loud he could be and to show them why they should be scared. They're cheer matched his roar, louder this time and he could see people jumping up and down all around the edge of the stadium. 

"Ladies and gentlemen we appear to have a new, unexpected contender joining us for tonight's contest. What a lovely surprise this is. He looks big, he looks mean and green, let's see what he can do!" the mysterious announcers voice boomed over the entire stadium. 

He searched for the source of the voice but couldn't find it, instead he could see, towering above him was thousands and thousands of people, all cheering and jumping up and down in their seats, looking down at him. 

Then he felt something bounce of his head, he looked down to see that it was a rock, he turned angrily in the direction of where it had come from to see a creature standing threateningly some distance away. He had never seen anything like it, it didn't look anything like Banner or the other creatures that he had seen before on earth. It had a featureless face and its skin was blue. The creature grabbed another piece of rubble off the floor and held it aloft before throwing it at the Hulk. The crowd swelled in anticipation but their excitement died as the rock once again bounced useless off the Hulk's head. 

The Hulk roared once again, seizing the rock off the ground and hurling it with all his might at the small attacking creature. The rock made contact, causing the head of the victim to erupt in a spray of bone and blood as the rock embedded itself in its skull. The Hulk let out a hearty laugh and found to his astonishment that the crowd joined in. As he looked around he saw them pointing, laughing and cheering at the body of his victim. 

"Who is this fabulous new contender we have ladies and Gentlemen? Could it be we have a new potential champion? Send in the next fighter!" The announcer boomed happily.

Hulk turned as he heard a door similar to his opening on the other side of the arena. Emerging from the opening was a metal being. He wondered if there was a man inside it like the Iron one back on earth. As he pondered his new opponent he heard the crowd being to cheer and scream urging the Hulk to 'kill' along with all other manner of other colorful suggestions. 

Not wasting time he lunged at the new attacker, landing heavily on the robot, bringing his hand down from above his head, he smashed the head of the metal being. There was clearly no man inside, gears and wires simply spilling out as the Hulk easily tore the metal casing to pieces. 

The crowd swelled and cheered louder than before, the Hulk looked up to the nearest stands and saw people jeering and yelling. He looked back down at the now destroyed robot placing one arm firming around the wrist of the robot he ripped its arm from the socket, causing the crowd to cheer louder. He ripped out the other arm, another loud cheer. The Hulk grinned to himself, he has never heard people respond in such a way to his violence, _he liked it._

Grabbing the still attached metal leg he swung the robot above his head before hurling it across the arena where it landed in a defeated heap. 

More enemies were released in the area, one after another, none of which were any match for him. The more elaborate his attacks the more the crowd cheered and roared with excitement. After each defeated enemy he stood up to his full light, roaring "HULK" so that everyone knew his name and could see just how strong he was. It wasn't long before the crowd were cheering his name back at him in unison. 

Never in his, _or Banners_ , life had they received this much positive attention, especially for violent destructive behavior. Why didn't the people of earth respond like this?  
With every defeated enemy came the delight disembodied voice of the announcer filling the stadium and encouraging the crowd to cheer for him. The Hulk was having more fun than he had ever had in his life. He had always reveled in smashing and destroying things but now he was being praised by thousands of people while doing so. 

"Well, what an evening of entertainment it has been. Certainly we were not expecting a challenger of this, caliber. We may have a contender for the top spot!" The crowd cheered once again and the Hulk let out another fierce roar to keep them going. "Let's however allow our new challenger some time to rest so he is peak physical condition for next time to take on the champion and fight for the title of Champion!" The voice announced.

The metal door he had entered through slid open, he supposed he should go back through, hopefully the little scrapper would be waiting for him. He trusted her.

 

Back in the weapons area people began to rush up to him defensively he braced himself unaware of their intentions, but they didn't try to hurt him, instead they shook his hand, patted him on the back and jumped up and down excitedly. 

"Yeah, alright, break it up" came the voice of the girl as she pushed people aside in order to reach the Hulk. 

"Little girl see Hulk smash?" He asked.

"Yeah I saw, good job, now we've got to go."

"Go where?"

"To see the Grandmaster, I'm sure he's desperate to see you and I still need to get paid." 

 

A set of large ornate doors opened to reveal a long room, lined with guards.At the other end of the room sat a man in a throne, framed by the windows behind him which displayed the brilliant night sky, the city silhouetted against it. The man watched them with a piercing gaze as they approached. 

"And here, he is. Isn't he wonderful," the man said delightedly once they stood before him. " _Hulk_ , I believe you were calling yourself."

The Hulk recognized the voice, it was the announcer from the arena. So this, Grandmaster, had been watching him fight. 

"You watch Hulk fight? You see Hulk strongest?" 

"Oh, I saw, but you're not the strongest yet," He tutted. "That title is still held by the previous champion." 

He held out his hand to them and as if on cue the girl walked forward to meet him. He took her hand, kissing it gently. 

"What a surprise you have brought me today, 142! It's not often I'm surprised, isn't that right Topaz?" He turned to a stern woman standing to the right of him, whose vacant expression hid the anger beneath it. "Nothing surprises me, but this, this, Hulk?" He rose from his throne and stepped down off of the podium and walked forward, skipping slightly and clicking his finger rhythmically. "Beautiful, simply beautiful," he muttered softly. "Pay her whatever price she wants," he stated flippantly, not taking his eyes off the Hulk.

The Hulk looked over at the girl, confused as to what these words meant. The girl had a smug smile on her face as she turned towards Topaz.

"Fifty million."

"That's outrageous," Topaz snapped. 

"You've seen what he can do. Fifty million and he's all yours. "

The Hulk was beginning to understand what was happening now. He recalled the scrappers picking through the rubbish, exactly the same way she had found him.

"Little girl, use Hulk?" he asked, still confused by exactly what was happening and who these people were that seemed so interested in him. "Hulk, gift for Grandmaster?"

"Sorry big guy," she replied with a shrug. "That's the game, I knew I couldn't over power you so I found another way to bring you to the Grandmaster."

"But Hulk thought Little girl, _like_ Hulk." He was starting to breath heavy, his anger building. He had thought she was being nice to him because she liked him, but it was a tick after all, she had betrayed him. 

"What do you care?" she asked. "You wanted to fight and you got to fight and they'll be plenty more to come." She looked away from him without another thought and turned to Topaz. "Fifty million," she repeated.

"He wasn't a legal fighter," Topaz interjected. "No proper processing, no authorization to fight. No better than a beast set loose. I believe you have no claim to his ownership."  
At this the Hulk felt his anger building again, a beast, she called him and no one _owned_ him either. He had been enjoying the reception he received here but suddenly things were collapsing in around him. 

"You are a cheat and a con," Topaz continued to the girl. "You knew when we saw this animal fight that you'd receive a higher price than the normal _correct_ way, you think you're smart but I see-"

 _Animal, ownership, price_. These words hit the Hulk hard. He had liked this place, people had cheered for him, it had been like a dream but now it was turning into a nightmare and in retaliation he was getting angry, he needed something to destroy, something to channel his building anger into. 

He bent down, positioning himself to lunge at this woman who was talking, he would make her stop first of all and then find further things to destroy. 

But before he could leap something stopped him, a hand, placed delicately on his wrist gripping with a feathers touch. The Grandmaster now stood at his side, grinning up at him and his other hand held out to silence Topaz. The Hulk attempted to pull his hand away but despite the fact that it was only a light touch that the Grandmaster had on his wrist the grip was like iron. The anger in Hulk washed away as he stared down at the soft expression on the man's face.

"There's no need for everyone to get so excited," the Grandmaster said soothingly as he released the Hulk's arm. "Topaz, give Scrapper 142 her credits." The Scrapper smiled victoriously and raised her eyebrow up at the stern woman. "Then prepare a new apartment," he continued. "This Champion-to-be needs somewhere comfortable to stay until his fight." 

_Stay_. This man wanted the Hulk to stay and to be comfortable. These were things that people wanted for Banner, not for the Hulk. He stood still, frozen by the raw power the Grandmaster had displayed so effortlessly seconds beforehand, as the bright man circled around clearly inspecting every inch of him.

"Yes, perfect" the Grandmaster purred as he finished his inspection. He raised one hand and ran it down along the Hulk's forearm. "A bit of work, a new look, but otherwise, _perfect._ "

The Hulk stared down into the small man's eyes mystified by what was lurking beneath the surface. "You were lost, but now you are found," the Grandmaster said reassuringly to him.

The words stirred something within the Hulk. "Hulk, always feel lost," he responded.

"Not anymore. Here, you will be loved."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a Bruce one! I'm excited to finally start writing for him in this sequence. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Accidental Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bruce woke with a start, tangled in a mess of blankets and his head pounding, racing with images of Sokovia and Ultron as his brain attempted to catch up and connect those events with his current situation. He was used to waking under confusing circumstances and he began to focus on what was around him, get some sense of where he was and slowly sort out the mess of memories and sensations._

The Hulk hurtled through the air alongside the man in the iron suit and the lightening god. They flew effortlessly through the skyline as he clumsily attempted to keep up, jumping from roof top to roof top. He lept from a building after them but as he sailed towards his destination he felt himself losing momentum. Looking down his green outstretched hand was shrinking down to become small and pink. 

"No Banner!" Hulk tried to yell but his voice wouldn't come. They were falling, Banner choosing the worst time to wake up. But then they were seized in a pair of metal arms, the red and gold paint gleaming in the sunlight.

Bruce woke with a start, tangled in a mess of blankets and his head pounding, racing with images of Sokovia and Ultron as his brain attempted to catch up and connect those events with his current situation. He was used to waking under confusing circumstances and he began to focus on what was around him, get some sense of where he was and slowly sort out the mess of memories and sensations. 

He looked up to see teeth, large, pointy and clearly belonging to a huge beast, he drew himself up into a sitting position and discovered soft pillows propped up behind him. He was in, a bed? A bed made out of a giant skull by the looks of things. This was certainly different to the usual circumstances, at least the bed was comfortable compared to the rubble and debris he was used to waking up in. 

He looked around to see that he was alone in a what appeared to be an apartment. The decor was unlike anything he had ever seen before, it certainly wasn't Stark tower, but there did not appear to be any immediate danger so he allowed himself to fall back against the pillows, pulling the blankets up around him, their weight and warmth a comforting sensation. 

Now, what did he remember? Ultron, Sokovia, Nat's hand reaching for his as a shock wave sent through the ground had caused him to lose his footing and fall. Neither of them had been fast enough to react and Bruce had watched her face disappear above him as he fell into the bowels of Ultron's lab. Once again the Hulk had saved him from what would have been a fatal fall.

How had he gone from the depths of a Sokovian lab to this comfy apartment? Hopefully it meant they had won the battle against Ultorn. He remained bundled up in the blanket's running through all the possible outcomes that could have resulted in him ending up here. The most probable explanation was that one of the others had brought him. He hoped Tony would appear soon to explain everything that had happened before asking if he was ready to go home to Stark tower. Tony had promised they would go back their to retire from the Avengers together, something which Bruce was looking forward to. After several minutes no one had appeared so he supposed it was time to get up and go in search of answers rather than continue laying here waiting for them to present themselves. 

He pulled himself up off the bed and slid his legs down to the floor. This bed was certainly made for someone much bigger than himself, more Hulk sized than Banner. Had the Hulk gone to sleep here? 

The remains of his pants were pooled around his feet on the floor so he pulled them up and held them in place as he made his way across the room towards a large window he could see at one side of the room. He would be able to get his bearings once he had more information about where he was. 

The roof, floor and walls were decorated in white and red lines, a bath the size of a pool on one side of the room was letting off steam, he had to admit a bath would be welcome right now. As he reached the window nothing could have prepared him for the sight that he was greeted with, a sprawling multi colored metropolis that was certainly not anywhere on Earth. 

He let the remains of his pants fall to the floor as he pressed his hands up against the glass straining to take in every detail about what was in front of him, unable and not willing to believe what he was seeing. All manner of spaceships flew past, weaving in and out of the sprawling buildings and in the distance what appeared to be giant wormholes lined the horizon pouring garbage out onto a barren landscape. Bruce staggered back in shock trying hard to remain calm.   
_Don't panic Banner. Panicking won't help, don't give the big guy a reason to wake up._

"TONY?" he yelled looking around the room for any more information. "STEVE, NAT, CLINT, THOR?" He could feel himself starting to panic despite his own attempts to reamin calm. "FURY?" he tried finally, in case this was some kind of seceret SHIELD facility.. But as he stumbled through the room he realised no one else was around.   
Looking over at the pool sized bath he threw himself in so that the water washed over his head. It was the perfect temperature, and the sensation of the water around him drew him out of his building panic. He surfaced, gulping in air and rubbing the water out of his eyes. He found a seated area against the wall of the bath and pulled his knees up against his chest. 

"Okay Banner, think," he whispered to himself, "the others would not allow you to be left somewhere unsafe." This was a comfortable place with a bed, bath and what even looked like a liquor cabinet. Clearly someone had wanted him to be comfortable when he woke up. He was still unsure how to process the possibility he was no longer on earth, but once one of the others appeared to explain things he felt sure there would be a perfectly reasonable explanation.

_Perhaps this is Asgard?_ He thought to himself. Perhaps Thor had brought him here, but why? For safety perhaps? Maybe Ultorn had won after all and the earth was gone, what if just he and Thor were the only ones left? He shook his head and banished the thought, both he and Thor would have fought Ultron to the death rather than abandon their team mates. The decor of this room didn't scream Asgardian prince to him either and the city outside was too grungy compared to the paradise Thor had once described to him so at this point he was ruling out Asgard as a possibility.

The water was so warm and soothing he could easily fall back to sleep right there and but rather than allow himself to do so he climbed out of the water, locating a stack of towels next to the pool. They were large too and he was able to wrap one around himself several times. From what he could see there weren't any clothes in the room, another troubling sign. The other Avengers would have surely known to have something waiting for him. 

"Who are you?" a voice from behind questioned, startling Bruce as he spun around to face them. It was a woman, a human, _well, human looking_ , which settled him a bit. Her arms were crossed with a fierce but amused look as she eyed him up and down. He adjusted the towel to conserve as much modesty as possible.

_Well done Banner, another brilliant first impression_ , he thought to himself. "Bruce," he stammered, "didn't the others mention me?" He would be able to gauge more about the current situation based off of her response to this vague comment.

"Others?" she asked. "What others?" Oh, great, that was the last response he wanted to hear. 

As he observed her he realized there was something familiar about the woman, he couldn't quite figure out what though. There was one thing he was certain of and that was her style of clothing. The leather armor, braided pony tail and cape hanging from circular epaulets all matched Thor's Asgardian aesthetic. 

"Are we on Asgard?" He asked, re-entertaining the idea that this could be Asgard after all.

The woman froze, and he eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

"No. This isn't Asgard," she responded, clearly suspicious of why he had asked this. "What gave you that impression anyway?" She questioned, begging to circle around him.

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed, you dress very similar to a friend of mine," Bruce responded uncomfortable by the way she was looking him up and down. 

"Is this some kind of joke?" She asked suddenly becoming defensive. "Did Topaz put up to this?" 

Bruce shook his head. "I don't know who that is," he admitted, shrugging and pulling his towel up tighter as he squirmed under her piercing gaze. 

"How did you even get in here?" she demanded finally breaking eye contact and scouring the room, clearly looking for something else she expected to be here.

"I just woke up here..." he answered as innocently as possible.

She turned back and ran a careful glance over him before raising an eye brow as she backed over to the drinks cabinet taking. "Got caught up in the Grandmaster's celebrations with the new champion-to-be?" she asked before taking a large bottle off of the shelf and taking a sip straight from it. 

"I'm not one for parties," he replied. "New champion?" he inquired, a worry starting to grow in him. 

"Where have you been?" she asked with a laugh. "The new 'champion-to-be'. Big green guy, ridiculously strong and likes to smash things. It's all everyone is talking about" She held out the bottle towards him, giving it a small shake. 

Bruce's heart sunk at hearing the words and he let out an audible groan. What mess had the Hulk finally managed to get them into this time. Bruce looked at the outstretched bottle on offer, normally he would refuse but given the current situation and the dawning realization as to why everything in this room was over sized, he walked over and seized the mysterious drink, downing a mouthful. It burned his throat as it went down. It was unlike anything he had tasted on earth but it was unmistakably alcoholic. 

"I was hoping the big guy would be here actually," she said as he drank. "I needed to speak to him about... well, something."

"I guess he's not here," Bruce replied handing the bottle back to her. "How do you two know each other?" He asked, hoping for a clue that would help him piece together what the Hulk had been up to while in control. 

"I'm the Scrapper who caught and sold him to the Grandmaster," she boasted but her expression didn't hold. 'Something I think I owe him an apology for.." she muttered trailing off and raking another sip from the bottle to hide her expression. 

"Wait, you sold the Hulk to someone?" Bruce exclaimed but realized as soon as the words escaped his mouth that he had slipped up.

"So you do know him?" She said, now victorious in fact he had outed himself.

Bruce smiled defeatedly, realizing there was no way to avoid it now. "Yeah, I know him." He admitted before taking a seat on some steps that lead up to the raise area of the room trying to process this new information. 

"Champion-to-be, you said," he asked watching as she polished off the rest of the bottle. "Champion of what?" 

"The Contest of Champions?" she replied, one eye brow raised suspiciously as she discarded the bottle on the floor. "Where have you been? Everyone knows about the tournament." 

He stared back at her and shrugged. 

"The Grandmaster's contest of champions," she began clearly repeating something she had memorized. "A brutal competition where the best fighters in the universe compete to see who is the strongest. Only those who defeat the champion win their freedom and become crowned the new champion." 

Bruce stared wide eyed as she explained. "And the Hulk...?" he asked.

"Killed every contender without breaking a sweat," she responded. "He's going to fight the champion next time and I don't think anyone doubts he'll win. The Grandmaster is already treating him like the winner." 

Bruce's head fell into his hands and he ran his fingers though his hair. "What have you done?" He whispered to himself.

"Only champions get to live this well," she said indicating the room around them. "So long as they comply with the Grandmaster's wishes." 

"The Hulk isn't the kind to comply with other people's wishes," Bruce responded looking up at her. 

"Well, the Grandmaster must be doing something he likes," she said shrugging. "Otherwise he'd be down in the holding pit with the other slaves." 

Bruce exhaled heavily. He couldn't process all this, the Hulk willingly co-operating with someone and the the fact that Bruce didn't even know what planet he was on was not something he was up to dissecting at the moment. 

"Well, this _Grandmaster_ is going to have to find himself a new champion," he stated, standing up and beginning his search for some clothes. He was certainly not going to hang around now that he knew the Hulk had been sold to fight in blood sports and was even actively planning to stick around here to compete in. 

He had clearly underestimated how far the Hulk would go to make his life as miserable as possible. First problem, find some clothes, then second, find out what this planet was and how the Hulk had managed to get here, finally, figure out how to get back to earth to the other Avengers. He wondered if the others knew where he was. Were Tony and the others looking for him? Did they even know where he was? 

"Are there clothes anywhere around here?" he asked frustrated in his search that was revealing nothing. 

"Where are yours?" she asked with an amused grin. 

"If I knew that I wouldn't be asking" he retorted, harsher than he intended. "Sorry, it's been a rough day already. I shouldn't snap like that."

"Who are you?" she asked finally. Something he was surprised had taken her this long to ask. She had been surprisingly accepting of him and his questions. 

"No one important," he responded automatically. "Best if I just get out of your hair." If she knew he was also the Hulk she would probably try to stop him leaving. At the moment she appeared to have no idea who he was and it was best for him to get away before she figured it out. 

He had a moment of clarity and turned to her. "You don't happen to know how the Hulk got to... here?" He asked. "Not _here_ ," he motioned to the room around them, "but, _here_? He gestured over to the window realizing how awkward he was being in his attempt to ask what planet they were on. 

"The same way everyone gets to Sakaar," she replied flippantly. "Found him wandering out in the wastes with all the other lost things." Bruce's expression at this must have given away how confused he was at this explanation. "He crashed in a ship," she explained, "a pretty primitive one at that."

"A primitive ship? What did it look like?" Bruce tried to hide his swelling excitement. 

"Small, grey, says 'Stark Industries' on the side."

_The Quinjet!_ he thought to himself, rejoicing internally. This was the best news Bruce had heard all morning. 

"Anyway," she interrupted suddenly remembering why she had come here in the first place. "Where is the Hulk? The Grandmaster will be here for him soon and I don't want to be around if he finds him missin-"

"Where is the ship now?" Bruce interrupted.

She jerked her thumb towards the window. Bruce scrambled to look out of it and sure enough, way down below he spotted the small outline of the Quinjet.   
He laughed out of sheer happiness, unable to hide his grin. Finally some answers, however they got here it had been in the Quinjet and that was the start of Bruce figuring out how to get home.

"We're going to that jet." He stated, abandoning his attempt to contain his excitement. "Find me some clothes and let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. A Growing Attachment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Is there just rubbish everywhere on this planet?" Bruce asked as he side stepped around what looked like an old rusted fridge._
> 
> _"The Grandmaster doesn't consider anything rubbish," she responded looking down at the piles of discarded junk. "To him, everything has purpose and worth, especially when no one else wants it."_
> 
> _"Sounds like he's quite the hoarder," Bruce muttered under his breath._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in update, the last few weeks at work were ridiculously busy. Regular updates will now commence!

Bruce took the few minutes he had alone to piece together everything he knew so far. He was on a new planet, the Hulk had somehow gotten them here in the Quinjet, he was uncertain how though since the Quinjet wasn't capable of space flight. Once here this young scrapper woman had sold him to someone named the Grandamaster, to compete in some arena style competition. The more Bruce ran over these facts the more absurd they grew.

At his request the scrapper had left to find clothes for him. He knew there was every possibility that she wouldn't return but at this point he had no options and she had appeared strangely intrigued by him, which he planned to use to his advantage. 

Once at the Quinjet his first course of action would be to access the flight log which would hopefully provide answers as to how the Hulk got the ship here.   
He stood looking out the window as he waited, watching various wormholes dumping trash out onto the landscape. He had a feeling that they were the most likely explanation as to how the jet physically got here. Hopefully that would mean that the other end of the wormhole had been somewhere on earth but surely either Stark Industries or SHIELD would have detected such a thing. 

The thought of Stark Industries caused his mind to wander to Tony properly for the first time since waking up. Was Tony somewhere here looking for him? If the Hulk had been sucked through a wormhole than Bruce had no doubt Tony would have come through after him. He hated not knowing what happened when the Hulk was in control sometimes, he had told Tony, told him that it was becoming harder to retain some ounce of control. Now the outcome of this fear was making itself known. Every transformation was taking its toll in harsher manner.

His chain of thought was interrupted by the return of the scrapper, arms full of what must have been this planet's idea of clothing. "It's either armor or robes" she explained, dumping them on the floor in front of him. 

Bruce examined the garments she had managed to gather. He held up the robes, they were the most ostentatious outfit he had ever seen in his life, and he had been in Tony Stark's wardrobe. 

The only other option was was a knee lenght blue cotton tunic with leather shoulderpads and belt, reminiscent of what a Roman soldier would have worn.   
He sighed, it was going to have to be the armor.

He looked around the room but realized there were no separate rooms or partitions for him to change behind and although he was used to people seeing him naked post transformation he knew for some reason he didn't want her to see him like that.

"Would you mind..." he stammered, awkwardly gesturing for her to turn around. 

The scrapper let out a laugh before shrugging and turning around to give him some privacy. Bruce discarded the over sized towel and pulled the tunic over his head, fastening the belt to pull it in at his waist. 

Once he finished dressing he turned around and saw the scrapper had been watching him and was struggling to stifle a laugh. Bruce frowned as he pushed his hair out of his face, sure he wasn't built like Thor of Cap but he wasn't the worst. 

As he pulled on the boots that accompanied the outfit he wondered what Tony's response would be to seeing him like this and supposed this is what the others must feel like 'suiting up'. Bruce never bothered with the whole suiting up side of things, besides he always woke up in the tattered remains of his clothes anyway so clearly the Hulk didn't care either. 

"Thank you, by the way," Bruce said as he finished dressing. "Part of me thought you'd just leave."

"I thought about," she admitted, shrugging. "But then I remembered there is absolutely nothing else to do around here so." 

Bruce bit his lower lip and nodded slowly. Of course, what else did he expect. 

"And I don't know," she continued, softening. "There's something about you, something that makes me think I should help." 

The two of them stood in silence for a while. Bruce had to admit that he too felt a connection between them, something he supposed was carrying on from his time as the Hulk. She was clearly getting agitated by the silence and found a way to break it. 

"I meant it when I said I don't want to be around when the Grandmaster finds the big guy missing. Can't leave you here to suffer the wrath alone as its obvious you have zero idea of anything that's going on around you." 

"Thanks," Bruce responded appreciatively and began to head for the door. Her arm shot out and blocked him from moving past.

"But first," she said looking him in the eyes. "You're going to tell me who you are and how you know the big guy. It's only fair." 

Bruce's jaw tightened. He didn't want to lie to her but at the same time it was dangerous to give away details about himself. 

"They Hulk and I... are close." he managed under he gaze. "Closer than anyone, but we don't get along. I wish we did but we don't." Normally he didn't have a problem mentioning the other guy but given the circumstance the Hulk had placed them in he was struggling to not get emotional. "We sort of, travel together. It's complicated but I can say with certainty I don't want him falling into the hands of this Grandmaster guy."

"So, what? You plan to find him and take him off Sakaar with you?" she asked.

"Well, at the end of the day, he won't have much of a choice in the matter." Bruce said with a shrug. 

"No offence, but you don't exactly look like the kind of person the big guy would listen to," she said looking him up and down. 

"Perhaps you shouldn't judge someone based on how they look," he responded, smiling at her. 

She looked taken aback by these words and without another word gestured for the doorway.

 

As they entered the corridor Bruce couldn't help but notice how the scrapper held herself as she walked, proud and confident but with a leisurely dismissive attitude to anything around her. He felt bad that she was going to the trouble of helping him yet he was unable, and selfishly a little unwilling, to help her in return. 

"What will happen if they don't find the Hulk?" He asked trying to remain as casual as possible.

"Public execution most likely," she answered without a moments hesitation. "People dragged from their homes and slaughtered until the Grandmaster finds what he is looking for or gets bored." 

Bruce face lost all its color as he stared wild eyed at her. She looked at him and laughed, causing him to start awkwardly laughing too.

"Oh, I see, taking advantage of my lack of knowledge," he sigh, relieved. 

She continued laughing before giving him a reassuring grin. "I wasn't joking," she stated, continuing ahead as Bruce stopped in his tracks to stare open mouthed at her. He had to run to catch up with her. 

As they past by a patrol of guards Bruce noticed the outlandish armor they were all wearing. Everything looked like it was out of some 80's sci-fi film. He also discovered that his room was not the only one decorated in such a vibrant manner. All the corridors and rooms they passed through were decorated with clashing colors and patterns. Bruce couldn't help but feel confused over the idea of a master who would decorate their home in such a fashion yet be known and feared for their public executions. Bruce knew for sure that he most certainly did not want to stick around to meet this 'Grandmaster' and he certainly didn't want the Hulk staying here with him. 

They made it though the building unhindered, guards stepping out of their way as the scrapper passed through. Bruce hadn't realized what level of authority this young lady must have actually held here. She led him out what Bruce assumed was a back entrance because they greeted with giant piles of rubbish and junk strewn across the yard surrounding the building. People in colorful outfits and masks were digging through the piles, occasionally pulling out objects to examine them.

"Is there just rubbish everywhere on this planet?" Bruce asked as he side stepped around what looked like an old rusted fridge. 

"The Grandmaster doesn't consider anything rubbish," she responded looking down at the piles of discarded junk. "To him, everything has purpose and worth, especially when no one else wants it." 

"Sounds like he's quite the hoarder," Bruce muttered under his breath. 

"Say what you like about him," the scrapper responded. "He makes lost things feel needed when no one else does."

Bruce considered this, not too long ago he had felt helpless, lost and desperate to escape. Tony and the other Avengers had convinced him to stay with them at a time when he had so desperately wanted to run away. Now he was here, the Hulk had brought them to a place where lost things ended up. Years ago he would have loved the idea of disappearing to a far off place, to leave earth and never harm another innocent person but now faced with that reality he felt conflicted.

Truth be told he was happy at Stark Tower with the others, but was that how the Hulk felt? Perhaps one of the reasons he found himself sad all the time despite the fact he had friends and Tony at his side was because the Hulk wasn't happy. Bruce was always discovering new things that connected himself and the Hulk, he appeared to have been stumbling on to something else that connected them. 

Before he had time to continue down this train of thought his attention was drawn up ahead of him. The Quinjet sat perfectly placed among the junk piles with no visible sign of damage or interference. Bruce ran the last fifty meters by himself, so pleased to have something familiar in front of him. A control panel on the side of the ship lit up as he access the door control. 

"It's old by Sakaar standards," the Scrapper announced, "but it handles well." 

"Designed by earth's most brilliant engineer," Bruce said with a grin as he entered into the back of the jet. The interior was a mess with equipment and old Avenger belongings strewn across the floor. Clearly it had been a rough landing for the Hulk. "You said the Hulk destroyed your ship?" Bruce asked as he inspected the ship for any interior damage that may need repairing.

"Yeah, ripped it open like a tin can," she admitted, stepping into the jet behind him. "Doesn't matter though, with all the units I made of the Big Guy I'll get a new one."

Bruce noticed that her voice began to trail off as she mentioned selling the Hulk, he could sense there was some regret in her voice. 

"You know, I wouldn't sweat it, the whole selling the Hulk to the Grandmaster thing," Bruce assured her as he sat down in the pilot seat. "I'm sure he'll understand. Trust me when I tell you, it's not the worst thing that someone's done to him." He turned back to look at her, she was standing to the side of the jet, trying to act interested in one of the emergency parachutes but Bruce could tell she was listening to him. He turned back around and smiled. "He forgives you, I'm sure." 

"Well when the big green idiot shows up again I guess I'll find out," she responded dumping the parachute on the floor and making her way up the front to stand beside Bruce's chair. 

"Speaking of the big green idiot," Bruce began as he activated the ships logs. "Looks like the in flight record captured everything that happened before the landing."

In front of them the screens all began playing the footage of the Hulk inside the Quinjet. At first the Hulk was simply sitting quiet and still, Bruce supposed this was not too long after the fight with Ultron. He was still unsure how the Hulk had come to be alone in the Quinjet in the first place. Currently he still had no indication that the others survived the encounter in Sokovia. 

They watched for several minutes as the footage stayed this way, the Hulk simply sitting alone in silence. Bruce had never imagined the Hulk could remain this still for such an extended time, it was shocking to see him sitting so peacefully.

Then, out of nowhere the ship began to nose dive out of the sky. The Hulk grabbed one of the chairs and clung on as the ship lost altitude. Bruce heard the scrapper gasp behind him as she watched over his shoulder. They continued to watch as the ship made contact with something, the ocean Bruce suspected as the sound and reflection of water were unmistakable. 

Then suddenly it was as if the ship became weightless, the Hulk rising off the floor and clearly becoming distressed by the change in events. As the Hulk gripped the chair arms within the cockpit, alarms began to sound and lights were flashing all over the displays. Then after several moments of weightlessness and chaos the ship shuddered and the camera feed died. 

Bruce sat back in his chair, he hadn't realized at the time but he had been sitting right on the edge of the seat, his hands digging into the arm rest. He relaxed his grip while processing everything he had seen. He hit the replay button, looking to take in as many details possible in this re-watch.

He always struggled watching footage of the Hulk and usually it was because the Hulk was causing chaos and destruction but this time as Bruce watched he couldn't help but feel haunted by the emotions he could see the Hulk experiencing. First the long quiet sadness of the Hulk sitting alone in the jet, Bruce could almost feel it swelling inside him as if he was reliving the moment for himself. A deep seated loneliness, a feeling of being- 

" _Lost..._ " the Scrapper whispered behind him. Bruce spun around to look at her and saw that she was also clearly shaken by the footage almost as much as he was. "I have to go and find him," she exclaimed, turning and rushing out the door. 

"Wait!" Bruce called pulling himself out the pilot chair. He hadn't anticipated this kind of reaction from her. He followed her outside, calling after her but she didn't turn back. He saw her heading off in the opposite direction to the one they had come from. He made to chase after her but stopped himself, turning back to the ship and staring at it for a brief second before turning back to watch her disappear around a corner.

The Quinjet was his only way off this planet, if he left it exposed anyone could get inside. Cursing himself he turned back to the ship and ran to the control panel.  
"Security Protocol, Avenger voice activation only," he ordered in a rush. 

"Protocol accepted, Avenger voice activation required," the ship repeated to him. Satisfied this would keep any unwanted people out, Bruce exited the ship, sealing the door behind him. He took off in the direction he had seen her leaving but knew there was probably no chance he would catch up with her.

"Damn it, Banner" he scolded under his breath as he ran. He had been so preoccupied with securing the jet he had fallen behind. He looked around and saw a small gap in the wall that surrounded the large junk filled yard. He would easily be able to squeeze through it, perhaps that is where she had gone through. 

Without another moments hesitation he ran to the hole and slipped through. As he emerged on the other side he was greeted with a huge assault on the sense. People and creatures of all different shapes, sizes and colors occupied the busy street. There was every different color of the rainbow decorating the street and people's outfit but underneath a slightly grimy edge to everything. 

Bruce spun around taking in every sight that he could, everything was new and different to observe. He had to jump out the way of a passing creature that was in danger of running him over simply based on its size. 

Suddenly Bruce realized, he had just stepped into what could possibly be the worst place in the universe for him to avoid becoming the Hulk. In a sense it reminded him of Kolkata, with the noise, and vast amount of people but the added element of everything begin alien began to put him on edge. Regardless of how uncomfortable he was starting to feel, Bruce surged on, determined to attempt to track down the scrapper. 

He wasn't even sure why he had run after her, or why he wasn't just heading straight back to the Quinjet or the Hulk's apartment. Bruce certainly wasn't just going to abandon his new friend without providing her an explanation and she was still under the impression she would be able to find the Hulk.

It was also clear to Bruce now that the Hulk and her had obviously known each other for the short time the Hulk had been in control and that they had formed some kind of bond. He supposed he owed her a thanks for that at least, not many people took time to get to know the Hulk on a friendship level. 

As he pushed through what appeared to be a marketplace, people lept out and offered to sell him all manner of things. Bruce was used to this kind of thing after having spent so much time on the run, hiding in all corners of the world. It was almost a welcoming feeling, the controlled hustle and bustle, people rushing around and bartering for things, strings of clothing lines hanging over head and children laughing and playing together in the street. The combined, sights, smells and sensation of the people made Bruce feel a sense of wonder he had not felt in a long time. There was something undeniably beautiful about a place like this compared to the quiet, routine driven life he had been living with Stark Tower for the past few years. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad place after all.

He was so preoccupied watching a man selling the biggest pieces of fruit he had even seen in his life that he bumped into someone. 

"Sorry," Bruce said apologetically as he could. The man he had bumped into was standing with a group who were all wearing hand painted masks that covered their faces. Bruce was unable to gauge the mans response but he figured it was best to just keep on his way. Bruce made to duck past the group but they stepped in his way, blocking him from going any further. 

"Please," Bruce said holding up his hands defensively. "I'm just trying to get past. I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going."

The masked men all laughed and one of them shoved Bruce roughly in the shoulder. Bruce felt the surge of the Hulk swell inside him but kept a level head, trying to solve this as diplomatically as possible. 

"Please," Bruce said, "just let me go past. It will be better for everyone."

The group started to laugh and mimic him politely asking them to move. One of them gave him a shove with the their pole-arm and the others laughed as Bruce stumbled but managed to keep his balance. 

"I'm warning you," Bruce threatened, becoming annoyed. All he wanted to do was look for his friend, he didn't have time for this. 

They laughed again, as one of them roughly shoved him to the ground. Bruce let out a cry of pain as his knee made contact with the ground. 

"Please" Bruce begged. "I don't want to hurt you." 

The men all laughed at this, the leader reaching down and seizing him by the front of his tunic, pulling Bruce off the ground. Out of the corner of his eye Bruce saw one of them drew out a small blue disk from their pocket and begin to push Bruce's curl's of hair away from his neck. They were surrounding him and Bruce could feel the prickle of agitation under his skin becoming an overwhelming anger. He wanted to fight it but even he knew that this situation would instantly solve itself if he just gave in. The temptation was becoming overwhelming. 

"I said leave me alone!" Bruce yelled as the skin around his hands and face surged with green. He knew what was coming and it was already too late to fight it. Perhaps it was for the best anyway, Bruce wasn't sure he was equipped for dealing with this situation and at least this would mean he was reunited with the scrapper soon.

As an attacker's fist made contact with Bruce's face everything went green.


	6. Among Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"My champion!" the Grandmaster cheered, moving briskly towards him, meeting him in the center of the room. "I am relieved that Topaz was able to find you. I, have been sick with worry. When they told me you weren't in your room I fear the worst, but, I knew you wouldn't have gone far."_
> 
> _The Grandmaster began running his fingers along the paint lines of the Hulk's arms before pulling his hand sharply away. "Taking in some of the local sights were we?" the Grandmaster asked with a raised eyebrow._

The mask and skull crushed easily in the Hulk's fist, the gooey inside oozing between his fingers. There were other men around screaming and attempting to run but the Hulk was quick enough to grab a couple of them, crushing their collar bones and necks with ease. He dropped their bodies to the ground and laughed as he watched them continue to twitch. He sniffed the air and was delighted to realize that he was still on Sakaar, the Hulk wondered if Banner liked this place as much as he did. 

Someone nearby started screaming and the Hulk instinctively reared up looking around for the source of agitation but as he had learnt the previous night the scream was actually one of excitement. People began to push past each other to get at him, attempting to pet his skin and touch any part of him, even wiping away the mess that had been left on his hands from the attackers. They began tugging at his arms to move him to a more central location in the center of the market square. Normally the Hulk would resist letting people move him against his will but the people had such wild smiles and several of them were even cheering 'Hulk' that he allowed the to lead him. 

Once in the center of the market people began to approach him with a variety of objects holding them aloft gesturing for him to take them. He was presented with delicious fruit that he wasted no time devouring, loudly expressing his like for the to the joy of the people. Several of them began wrapping soft clothes and silks around him, dressing him in the brightest colors they had on offer while removing the tattered remains of whatever Banner had been wearing.

Hulk laughed and beamed at the people as they showered him with affection. He had never had so many people delighted to see him at once. One woman held up a bowl full of mysterious liquid and the Hulk looked quizzically at her. She dipped her finger inside and the used it to paint a line on her own skin. He eagerly held out his own arm and watched, intrigued, as she began to paint intricate designs along his arm. On his other side someone else had clearly seen the woman doing this and had pulled his other arm down to start painting that themselves. 

The Hulk couldn't be happier, he had woken up crushing the skulls of some annoying men and was being rewarded for doing so. Each piece of food the crowd handed him was more delicious than the last and he happily ate it all. He had never bothered wearing clothes like Banner did but these ones were soft against his skin and he liked it.   
He lost track of how long he sat there letting the people spoil him before suddenly from the back of the crowd, he heard a scream causing the people to begin to disperse, pushing each other out the way to cower behind him. Through the nearly formed gap the Hulk spotted the stern looking woman from the previous night, Topaz he think he had heard the Grandmaster call her. 

"Tell the Grandmaster we've found the green beast," she commanded the nearest guard accompanying her. The lackey turned and ran off as she made her way towards the Hulk. 

A man ran forwards out of the crowd holding some of the fruit the Hulk had been eating moments before. "The new Champion likes my produce, the Grandmaster should buy it for him-" the merchant began but was inturrupted as Topaz swung the large ornate stick she was carrying. 

The ball at the top of the stick barely touched the man and his voice turned to horrible shrill screams as he melted into a pile of goo right before the Hulk's eyes. The crowd around the man all backed off doing their best to avoid being touched by the newly formed puddle of goo. Without even sparing a glance for the man she had just killed she addressed the Hulk. 

"Time to go," Topaz ordered keeping her expression blank as she met the Hulk's gaze. 

"No!" Hulk responded defiantly. He remembered this woman had been rude to his little scrapper friend and she had just killed one of people who had been nice to him, so he wasn't going to do what she said. "Hulk stay here with new friends and eat food!" He put one of his arms into the crowd and scooped up several of the people, pulling them into a one armed hug at his side. Then reached out to the nearest person still standing at his other side, grabbing a large piece of food and biting dramatically into it. 

His over enthusiastic bite caused some juice to squirt from the food and land in the face of the woman. The Hulk laughed, unapologetic at the sight and several of the people in the crowd laughed too before falling silent. The woman barely flinched but the Hulk saw her jaw tighten and her gaze intensify. Without breaking eye contact with him she leaned her melting stick over and tapped one of the people who had laughed. The Hulk roared in anger at the woman, standing up to his full height to tower over her, dropping the people he had in his one armed hug in the process. 

"You _will_ return to the Grandmaster, or these _friends_ of your's will be punished for keeping you from him," Topaz stated flatly, a subtle grin appearing on her face. 

The Hulk looked around at the terrified people now cowering behind him. He wanted to protect them at all costs, they had been so nice to him and he didn't want them hurt because of him. 

"Hulk go," he said, frowning at the woman. 

She nodded triumphantly and gestured for him to start walking. 

"Bye friends," he yelled happily at the crowd, waving to them as he left. They started waving and cheering for him again as he went. He would pay them back by winning in the arena again, he suspected they would like that. 

 

It wasn't a long walk back to the Grandmaster's palace and the Hulk made a point of ignoring everything Topaz was attempting to say to him.

He could hear the Grandmaster's voice from the other side of the door to the throne room as they approached, it sounded worried and angry. The doors were thrown open and the Hulk ambled inside only to be greeted with a scream of relief. 

"My champion!" the Grandmaster cheered, moving briskly towards him, meeting him in the center of the room. "I am relieved that Topaz was able to find you. I, have been sick with worry. When they told me you weren't in your room I fear the worst, but, I knew you wouldn't have gone far." The Grandmaster began running his fingers along the paint lines of the Hulk's arms before pulling his hand sharply away. "Taking in some of the local sights were we?" the Grandmaster asked with a raised eyebrow. 

The Hulk nodded. "Nice people paint Hulk's arms and give Hulk food, " he boasted. 

"Yes, I see," the Grandmaster responded.

They were interrupted by Topaz clearing her throat.

"We have found the other one as well," she announced, gesturing to the entrance way. There to Hulk's astonishment, was the little scrapper being led in by several guards. The Grandmaster turned his attention away from the Hulk to the Scrapper. 

"You know I hate to do this 142 but they tell me you were seen leaving the Hulk's room this morning," the Grandmaster announced. "Next thing you know my champion-to-be is missing, and, well, you can see my dilemma." 

"I didn't have anything to do with his disappearance. True, I went to visit him in the morning but he was gone when I got there," the Scrapper confessed. 

"What were you doing in his apartment?" Topaz cut in with, clearly trying to give the Scrapper a hard time.

"Hey, who is the one doing the interrogating here?" the Grandmaster blurted before composing him. "But yes Topaz, good question, what were you doing in his apartment 142?"

"I, uhh-" the Scrapper hesitated before looking up, meeting the Hulk's curious gaze. "I needed to apologize to him." 

The Hulk tilted his head sideways, unsure what she meant.

"I did something unfair to him," she continued not looking away from him. "Friend's shouldn't treat each other that way." 

The Hulk beamed back at her, she had called him her _friend_. He realized she was apologizing for the selling him to the Grandmaster, something the Hulk had completely forgotten about after the mornings excitement.

"Besides," the Scrapper concluded, looking back to the Grandmaster. "He's back now so, what does it matter where I was?" 

"I can't risk any bad influences on my Hulk if he is to be the new champion," the Grandmaster stated with caution. "You're my favorite 142 but I need to know I can trust you." 

"Hulk leave by himself" the Hulk called out, locking eyes with the scrapper again. It was the first time the Hulk had purposfully lied, he wasn't sure why he did, but he would have said anything to protect his _friend_. He wasn't sure if anyone would believe him but he wanted to protect his her. 

"You left? Why would you want to leave me?" The Grandmaster questioned, a slight edge of sadness in his voice.

"Hulk want to meet people who cheer for him during fight. Get presents." The Hulk wasn't sure where this need for deceit had come from. He always just said whatever came into his mind but something from deep inside was causing him to say anything to protect his friend from punishment. He wasn't even sure at this point if she was guilty or not.

"Oh, I will give you all the presents you desire," the Grandmaster explained, softening. "My dear champion, nothing would give me more pleasure than to shower you with everything you could possibly desire." The Grandmaster suddenly became aware of everyone still standing in the room. 

"Oh, are you all still here?" He asked looking around. "I need time alone with my wonderful new prize. Everyone out," he commanded waving his arm towards the door.

"What about this trash?" Topaz asked indicating the Scrapper. 

"Didn't you hear what the Hulk said?" The Grandmaster questioned, turning on her. "He left on his own, she didn't do anything. Of course she wouldn't she's my favorite, why would she try to defy me?" He turned to the Scrapper, addressing her. "I'm sorry my dear, you are of course free to go and we'll forget this whole thing happened."

Topaz opened her mouth to respond but she was cut off.

"What?" The Grandmaster shot at her. "Are you saying you don't believe our fabulous new champion?" The Grandmaster asked. "You think he's _lying_ to me?"

Topaz sighed. "Of course not Grandmaster."

"Good," he responed, becoming excited once again. As she was ushered from the room the Scrapper managed one last wave goodbye at the Hulk. He waved excitedly back, hopefully he would see her again soon.

 

The Hulk was taken to a immense room filled with different sizes and kinds of baths. He was ushered into one large enough for himself, lined with rocks reminiscent to the one in his apartment. He was joined by two women holding large clothes and what appeared to be soap. The Hulk watched wearinly as they took his arms and began to wash all the paint off that had been applied by the people in the market. 

The Hulk began to protest at the sight of his new paint being washed away but he was silenced by the Grandmaster who was now sitting on a rock next to the bath. 

"Shh, it's okay," the Grandmaster soothed. "We just need to clean you up after being in that arena and among the people." 

"But Hulk like paint," he complained, pulling his arm away from the cloths. He was stopped however by a slight but firm hand on his shoulder from the Grandmaster. 

"Don't worry my friend, I'll get you more paint. I'll have the best artists on Sakaar brought in especially for you."

The Hulk exhaled grumpily but gave in, allowing the washing to continue. Once the paint was washed off they proceeded to wash the rest of him, making sure that every inch of his body was scrubbed clean. 

Once out of the water the Hulk was presented with some new fresh clothes to wear. He was unsure where the ones he had been given in the marketplace had gone to but a small part of him suspected the Grandmaster had gotten rid of them. 

 

Then the Hulk spent the rest of the day in the Grandmaster's company. Recieveing a tour of the palace and being show every facility that was availibe to him.   
After their tour the Grandmaster lead the Hulk into a huge room, one end of which was filled with large piles of cushins. The Grandmaster sat down among them gesturing for the Hulk to sit near him. 

"Please, it's delightfully comfy here, won't you join me?" The Grandmaster cooed. 

The Hulk was still not used to being treated with such care and love but he was growing to like it. He pushed as many cushions together as he could before falling down into them. They were velvety and the Hulk laid back enjoying the feel of them all bundled around him. He didn't remember ever being this comfortable before in his life. Looking up he saw the Grandmaster staring at him with a wide grin. 

A group of well dressed ladies accompanied by several men entered the room, the Grandmaster sat up quickly at the sight of them. 

"Not right now everyone," he called waving for them to be dismissed. "I'm entertaining in a different capacity today. "But," he called causing the group to stop and listen, "later, once our friend here has returned to his room, I want you all back in here." He gave them a roguish wink as they giggled and exited the room. 

"I host many different kinds of parties in this room," the Grandmaster explained turning back to the Hulk. 

They continued to sit and talk as people entered the room bringing them all manner of different foods. The Grandmaster took pleasure in presenting the Hulk with each dish as it arrived, clearly trying to determine what the Hulk liked best to eat. 

The Hulk enjoyed everything he ate though, he had never had this much freedom in eating before so anything that was placed in front of him he quickly devoured. As the Hulk continued to eat some unknown meat the Grandmaster leaned in, placing a hand on the Hulk's arm.

"Can I tell you a secret Hulk?" he asked.

"Glittery man tell Hulk anything" the Hulk responded between bites. 

"Previous Champions, well, truth be told they didn't want to be the champion. They came here and fought, but once they won they all wanted to leave."

"Why would anyone want to leave?" the Hulk asked, discarding his food. From what he had seen of this place there was no where else he would rather be. The people adored him plus they loved it when he smashed things, this glittery man had given him an apartment, the food was good. Hulk saw no reason to ever leave. 

"Exactly!" The Grandmaster replied with a devilish grin. "What about your apartment?" he asked. "Do you like it?" 

"Hulk love it," he replied.

"That apartment is one of the perks of being my champion," the Grandmaster explained. "I let you stay in there last night because I wanted to give you a taste of what it was like to be the champion. Plus, all this," he gestured around to indicate the food and the comfort they were currently enjoying. 

If this was the life that the Hulk could look forward to from now on than he knew one thing for certain. "Hulk want to be champion," he excalimed loudly, raising from the pillows.  
"Good," the Grandmaster purred, stroking the Hulk's forearm appreciatively. 

As he looked down at the Grandmaster he saw something sinister lurking beneath the surface of the Grandmaster's delighted expression. He banished the idea that there was anything wrong with this man, probably some of puny Banner's paranoia seeping through. 

This man was good, he was looking after Hulk in a way that no one else ever had. He appeared to _care_ about the Hulk and the Hulk knew that he wanted to return the favor. He would win the contest of champions for the glittery man and become the best champion Sakaar had ever seen. 

"I only have one rule," the Grandmaster explained, taking the Hulk's giant hand in his own and pulling him back down. "Do you think you could follow one rule for me in exchange for all this?"

The Hulk nodded. He figured following one simple rule would be easy.

"I don't want you to go down there among the people anymore," the Grandmaster explained. "You see staying up here, away from them creates a certain _mystery_. The people actually like it, if you always leave them wanting more they'll love you all the more for it." 

"But people love seeing Hulk," the Hulk responded. He felt saddened by the idea of not going to see all the people who clearly loved him so much but it was also true that the Grandmaster loved him and he was going out of his way to give the Hulk everything he could. The Hulk couldn't betray that.

"And they will continue to love you when they see you fighting in the arena for them," the Grandmaster gushed. "In fact I've got a great idea, tomorrow, we will outfit you with something special to really please them the next time they see you fighting," The Grandmaster exclaimed, rising out of the pillows. "A whole new look for a whole new Champion." 

The Hulk roared with happiness, he liked the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to read (Plus a special thank you to all those who take time to leave wonderful comments.)


	7. A New Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"How do I look Little Girl?" He asked the Scrapper, grinning._
> 
> _She laughed. "Like a winner, Big Guy."_
> 
> _"Now that is what I like to hear!" The Grandmaster exclaimed looking over every inch of the Hulk. "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. The Sakaarians are going to love you! Not as much as I do though," he added with a wink._

The Hulk didn’t sleep well that night. Whenever he felt himself drifting off he woke in a start, determined not to let himself fall asleep and risk dreaming of his old Avenger friends, something like that would make it easier for Banner to take control again. The Hulk had to keep them out of his other sides comfort zone. As long as there was threat of discovery or potential danger Banner would remain cowering in the back of his mind. Eventually he could no longer fight the exhaustion and the comfort of his lavishly prepared bed caused him to fall into slumber.

He woke to a group of servants entering the room, he was glad to discover he was still himself. A large spread of food was being laid out, the aroma of which he recognized from the previous day. Some of the servants were preparing the water in his bath, adding colored liquids and salts. Climbing out of bed, he made his way to the eloquently prepared food and sat on the floor, stuffing his mouth full of whatever he could reach. 

"Hey Big Guy," came the familiar voice of the Scrapper. He looked up to see her leaning on the entrance to the room, watching him with a smile. 

"Hey Little Girl!" He replied happily, mouth still full of food. 

She sat beside him, sharing some of his breakfast as she listened to him tell her about his previous day with the Grandmaster.  
Once they had finished he got up and moved over to the bath, his nose crinkled at the smell of the heavy perfumed water. They had made him take a bath yesterday, did they expect him to do it again now? He had never bothered with bathing in the past and now he could do it whenever he wanted, another perk to being the Champion. 

"Getting in?" the Scrapper asked, appearing at his side. 

The Hulk shook his head. "Hulk bath yesterday." 

"You're right, no point them," she agreed smiling innocently. Then, before the Hulk had time to react, her hand shot up, pushing hard against his lower back. He lost his footing at the unexpected force and fell into the hot steamy water. 

Water splashed over everything and cascaded across the floor. The Hulk flared with rage as he twisted under the water. Resurfacing he saw the Scrapper was laughing unapologetically. 

"Don't laugh at Hulk!" he roared, seizing a bottle throwing it in her direction. His hair had gotten long and the water had caused it to stick to his face, obscuring part of his vision. The bottle soared over her head, smashing on the other side of the room. 

He had intended for this to scare her into stopping but instead she laughed harder, wrapping her hands around her body to support herself in the fit of laughter. The Hulk stood, seething with rage at her as she made a fool of him, he didn't want to be the victim of such humiliation, he was the Champion after all! But then as he watched her laughing, he felt the building rage begin to subside. She was happy, even when he had thrown the bottle at her she didn't cower in fear or get angry, she laughed. 

He felt a grin appearing on his own face, he had a an idea, a devious, yet hilarious idea. Moving unexpectedly quick, he seized her tiny arms in his grip and pulled her into the water alongside him. 

"NO," he heard her squeal just before she hit the water. The Hulk roared with laughter at the sight of her resurfacing and scrambling back to the side of the bath, completely drenched. She dragged herself out of the bath so she was sitting on the edge. He continued to laugh as she sat, observing her soaked clothes. He understood why she had found it so humorous to see him pushed in now. 

"Little girl all wet!" He exclaimed gleefully. 

She glared back at him, but her expression quickly changed to a smile and she reached into the water, splashing him with a handful. The Hulk roared in surprise before sending his own splash of water back at her. His splash was much larger than hers and sent water soaring over the room towards the sitting area. They laughed at the sight of the drenched room together before continuing to splash one another, laughing together as they did. 

The Hulk couldn't remember ever having this much fun with any one before, he had enjoyed fighting aliens and smashing things with the Avengers but this was different. This wasn't work or for someone else, this was for him, he was having fun for the sake of it. 

Their fun was interrupted however by the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat from the doorway. They both turned to see Topaz, one eyebrow raised and accompanied by several other guards, standing in the doorway. 

"If you _children_ are finished messing around, the Grandmaster requires his Champion's presence," she stated disapprovingly. 

"Hulk only leave if Little girl come too," he stated, making sure to not look at Topaz while he spoke. He was happy to go and see the Grandmaster but not without giving Topaz a hard time for interrupting his fun.

"Fine," Topaz responded flatly before grinning deviously. " _Brunnhilde_ is more than welcome to join us." Topaz turned and exited the room, smiling to herself. 

The Hulk looked at the Scrapper, who was frowning and had clearly been upset by what Topaz had said. 

"Brnh-" the Hulk attempted to say but stumbled over the word. He tried several more times but couldn't get the word out properly. 

"My real name," the Scrapper stated solemnly. "Something I came to Sakaar to forget."

The Hulk saw how upset the little scrapper looked at having been called this. The Hulk knew how angry he got when the others Avengers had called him 'Banner', he supposed she must feel the same. He waded over to the side of the bath where she sat. He poked her hard in the chest, "Little Girl," he stated authoritatively. 

She looked into his eyes, smiling appreciatively and taking his finger in her hand. "Thanks Big Guy."

Inside one of the Grandmaster's entertaining rooms the Hulk stood on a raised platform being circled by the Grandmaster and several other people who the Grandmaster had told him were going to give him a new 'look', whatever that meant. One of them was currently cutting his hair short, something that he was glad for as he had been annoyed that it had gotten in his eyes earlier. He sat patiently as they worked occasionally looking over at the Scrapper who was sitting in a chair near the window, feet up over the armrest and drinking from a large bottle. Across the room Topaz stared disapprovingly at her.

"It's important that we find something that matches you're, _natural green_ ," the Grandmaster told him. Looking over a selection of drawings one of the stylists had.  
After much fussing the Grandmaster settled on a brown leather outfit complete with a blue armor piece for his shoulder. Straps of leather ran across the Hulk's chest and back, the heavy belt sat tight around his waist and the Hulk realized how good it felt to not be contained in Banner's tight trousers. The heavy leather skirt gave the Hulk the freedom he needed to move yet still be protected. 

The Hulk had never worn shoes before either but once again the Grandmaster had insisted on having large buckled sandals strapped around his legs. As each piece of the outfit was added the Hulk felt a growing sense of pride in his appearance. He had never had an identity like this for himself, not like the others in their spangly outfits and iron suits.  
"Hmm, still missing something," the Grandmaster observed looking him up and down from every angle. He continued to circle and muse as the Hulk stood obediently.

"Next," the Grandmaster exclaimed, clearly still deep in thought about how to make his Champion look perfect. . A large set of doors slid open and racks of weapons were pushed in. The Hulk looked curiously around him as the racks of were positioned all around the room. 

"142," the Grandmaster called, grabbing the Scrapper's attention. "I think this is an area of your expertise. Please do me a favor and help our darling Champion-to-be."

The scrapper swung her legs off the chair's armrest and made her way over.

The Hulk had never bothered with anything beyond his fists or the occasional piece of girder when in combat. The weapons were unlike anything the Hulk had seen on earth, no tiny little guns or puny shields or bows used by the Avengers. 

Like everything on Sakaar they looked like they belonged here, some of the larger hammers were forged from engine blocks similar to ones Hulk had ripped out of cars back on earth. They were painted with splashes of neon colours, once again matching the colorful buildings and outfits of the city's citizens.

Hulk noticed that the Scrapper was next to him, looking through the racks of weapons on offer. He watched curiously as she seized a short sword off the rack and gave it a few test swings. He took a sword off the rack but it was tiny in his hand and impossible for him to wield properly. 

"Here," said the Scrapper who had clearly seen him inspecting the sword, "try these instead." She lead him over to a rack that held the large hammer like weapons. "I think these are more suited to your particular brand of smashing." 

The Hulk lifted one off the rack with ease, he liked how heavy it felt in his hand. If he could hit things hard already with just his fists he could only imagine how much damage he could do with this. 

"Normally that's a two handed weapon," the Scrapper explained. "But you seem fine one handed, so try this too." He watched as she also effortlessly lifted a large axe of the rack and passed it to him. "Now you can smash and cut." 

They were interrupted by the Grandmaster, who was accompanied by one of the stylists pushing over a small dais, atop which was a helmet. It had a large red plume that ran all the way along the top. It was the most ornate helmet the Hulk had ever seen. 

"Bend down," the Grandmaster cooed, placing his hand on the Hulk's arm and apply light pressure. The Hulk obeyed, going onto one knee and allowing the Grandmaster to slip the helmet on his head. 

It was tight around his face but the Hulk had no trouble moving in it. He stood up to his full height, holding the weapons aloft. 

"How do I look Little Girl?" He asked the Scrapper, grinning. 

She laughed. "Like a winner, Big Guy." 

"Now _that_ is what I like to hear!" The Grandmaster exclaimed looking over every inch of the Hulk. "Wonderful, absolutely _wonderful_. The Sakaarians are going to love you! Not as much as I do though," he added with a wink.

The Hulk beamed with excitement between the Grandmaster and Scrapper. He had never felt this good before, he looked down, observing his new look and felt, for the first time that he was _himself_. 

The Hulk spent the rest of the afternoon in the arena, sparring with the Scrapper in order to get used to the new armor and weapons before his big fight against the reigning champion. It took him a while to get used to the extra weight of the armor he now had on him but after a while he barely noticed. At first the fighting with weapons was clumsy. The scrapper got in several good hits against him as he was not used to swinging and blocking with anything beyond his limbs. After the third time the Scrapper managed to land a hit, sending him tumbling over he roared in frustration.

"C'mon Big guy, you can do this," the Scrapper said encouragingly to him.

"Hulk hate weapons, just use hands," he exclaimed throwing the weapons on the ground in frustration.

"Pick those back up," she ordered authoritatively. "Time to go back to basics."

She pulled out her own practice sword and together they drilled through basic weapon movements and within a few hours he was already improving, landing hits and blocking with near perfect accuracy. He was certain now, with his new armour, weapons, and guidance from his friend that he would have no trouble at all in winning the Champion match. 

Their long training session, combined with his lack of sleep the previous night had left the Hulk feeling worn out. Ready for food and sleep the two friends left the arena and returned to the Hulk's apartment. Food had already been laid out and for them by the time they returned and the water from that morning had be cleared away and the hot tub refilled. 

The Hulk sat happily with the Scrapper, sprawled out on the floor, eating and laughing as they discussed the days events. The little Scrapper had pulled several large bottles off the liquor cabinet and by the end of the night they had consumed the lot together. 

"I was worried this morning that you might have disappeared again," the Scrapper explained after finishing the last of her drink. 

"Hulk not disappear again," he promised. She nodded happily at hearing this. 

"I met a strange guy in here, while you were gone," she said raising her eyebrows. "Just appeared out of nowhere, had no idea how or why he was here. Said he knew you."

The Hulk clenched his fists angrily at hearing this. "Banner," he snarled trying not to get too angry. He didn't want Banner anywhere near his new friend. 

"I think he said his name was Bruce-" she begun.

"BANNER!" the Hulk yelled furiously. "HULK HATE BANNER." He could feel himself getting angry, rising from the floor and standing. "Little Girl like Banner?" He asked. "More than Hulk?" he added before she could respond. 

The Scrapper simply laughed and leaned back on her elbows, shaking her head. "Relax, Big Guy. You know you're my number one." 

He felt his rage subsiding after hearing this. "Banner try to leave?" he asked her, sitting back at her side on the floor. 

"Yeah," she responded, looking at him inquisitively. "He did. He didn't want you here either." 

"Hulk not want to leave Sakaar, Little Girl or Grandmaster," he stated. He couldn't let the Scrapper know that he and Banner were the same. If she did she might laugh at how weak he really was and tell the Grandmaster who they were. No one would want Banner as the Champion and all this would be taken from them. The Hulk had to protect everything he was building here, especially his friendship with the Scrapper. 

"I don't understand how does he think he'll make you leave-" she asked but was cut off.

"Little Girl make Hulk promise. If Banner comes back, don't help Banner leave. Make Banner stay." The Hulk struggled to mention the thing he hated most, every mention of Banner's name was a possible trigger for the small puny man to attempt to take control. The Hulk had been doing a good job at holding him off and didn't want to give Banner any reason to fight him for control. 

She nodded, finally. "Okay, Big Guy, I won't Bruce or Banner, whatever his name is, take you away. I still don't understand why you're so afraid of him." This hit a nerve deep within the Hulk and he shot up, startling his friend.

"HULK NOT AFRAID OF PUNY BANNER!" he roared, stomping his foot, resulting in the floor cracking open on impact. He stormed off towards the bed, seething at the very idea that he might be scared of puny Banner. 

"Fine, forget I mentioned it," the Scrapper called after him, clearly unimpressed. "I'm going."

The Hulk threw himself on the bed, feeling rotten at getting so angry and yelling at his friend. He refused to apologize and accept he was wrong, but something deep inside urged him to call after her. To not be so angry at something she hadn't understood. 

"Wait," the Hulk called. He looked up to see the Scrapper stopping in the doorway, shoulders slumped but not turning to look at him. "Hulk get angry all the time. Hulk not want to be angry at Little Girl though."

She turned slowly to look at him, a tiny smile on her face. 

"Little Girl stay? he asked. 

Rolling her eyes, she began to walk back towards him, scooping up a half empty bottle on her way. 

"Hulk have trouble sleeping," he admitted, laying on his back and looking up at the roof. "Little Girl tell Hulk story?" He asked. 

She let out a laugh at hearing this. "What kind of story?"

"Where you learn to fight good?" he asked curiously. 

She remained silent for a while before responding. "I don't think I'm ready to tell you that one yet," she answer honestly. 

"Oh," the Hulk responded unsure why she wouldn't want to talk about it. Then he had an idea. "Hulk tell you about the time he saved _entire_ planet from puny god in stupid helmet?" 

She laughed again at hearing this. "Sure, tell me all about the puny god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in updating. The next chapter is already finished so will be up withing the next few days. Thanks once again to everyone reading!


	8. Arrival and Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Doctor Banner's apartment was listed alongside the other residential floors to be cleared out, however unlike Tony's, Bruce's possessions were not scheduled to be relocated to the new facility, they were instead marked for storage._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place after a time jump, _but only for Tony on Earth!_
> 
> Sakaar timeline will continue as normal without any jumps.

Tony took the long elevator ride up to his penthouse. The tower felt less alive than ever before, now that everyone was living in the facility upstate. He figured the move was probably for the best, they were less exposed out there, however he would miss the constant hustle and bustle of the city. 

Entering the penthouse he was greeted diligently by Happy. Tony had passed the responsibility of the relocation to Happy. The plan was to move himself out to the facility with the others and then within a year have the rest of the resources and labs moved to other facilities so that the Tower could be sold. 

"Here's the list of all your personal effects to be removed" Happy said handing him a tablet. 

Tony cast a cursory glance over the list; all he cared about was the transportation of his personal tech and equipment that he would be taking with him.

The facility was already fully furnished and stocked with everything he would need so the residential assets were a mere formality that Happy would deal with. Satisfied with what he saw he was about to hand this list back before something caught his eye. Doctor Banner's apartment was listed alongside the other residential floors to be cleared out, however unlike Tony's, Bruce's possessions were not scheduled to be relocated to the new facility, they were instead marked for storage. 

Dammit. He had been doing so well to ignore that part of his life, hoping it would just resolve itself.

"Boss?" Happy asked and Tony realized that something must be showing on his face. 

"Nothing" he assured Happy as he set a personal priority on Bruce's apartment so that no one else would go in there to move anything. "All good, see that it's all taken care of. You're my man on this." Happy nodded eagerly and collected the tablet from Tony.

Once he was alone Tony couldn't move himself away from staring out the window. Perhaps if he just stood here alone watching the city below he wouldn't have to think about what lay several stories below him, empty and waiting.

One year. _One year._

When he had returned from the battle of Sokovia he had told himself a month at most. Bruce wouldn't stay away longer than that but there had been no sightings of Bruce or the Hulk in all that time.

"You've really got a lid on it this time Banner," Tony huffed.

After several more pained minutes he forced himself to move, his feet felt heavy as he strode across the penthouse and entered the lift once again, hitting the button to Bruce's floor. Only he had access to that specific level; everyone else's permissions had been revoked shortly after the battle at Sokovia. Several people had suggested the floor be re-purposed and that the space was going to waste when it could be put to much better use, but Tony would not hear a word of it. He could never stand the thought of Bruce returning to discover Tony had given his room away under the pretense he didn't believe Bruce was returning. 

The lift door slid open to reveal the dark, long unused, apartment of Bruce Banner. After Bruce's disappearance Tony used to visit the floor often, mostly when he had difficulty sleeping, which was a lot. He found Bruce's old bed a comfort on those difficult nights. After a while however he had to stop because Bruce's room became the over-bearing reminder that Bruce still hadn't returned, that despite everything that happened he still chose to leave Tony and the Avengers the second he had the chance.

Tony had barely come down here when Bruce was actually living in the tower with him. He found it odd that he now spent more time in Bruce's apartment without Bruce in it than when he was here. A lot had happened in the past several years but Tony could still remember the first day Bruce came to stay in the tower with him.

 

**  
"Tony, this is all too much. Are you sure there isn't a smaller room you could give me?" Bruce asked, clearly overwhelmed at the lavish apartment.

"There's an empty janitor's closet in the basement, if that would be more to your liking," Tony retorted but judging by the way Bruce looked back at him Tony realized he had to be clearer. "That was a joke, you are staying in here and that's final."

"But we’re so high up, aren't you worried I might…” Bruce licked his lips nervously clearly uncertain about how to phrase the rest of the sentence. 

"Hulk-out and cause millions of dollars in structural damage, possibly killing multiple employees along the way?"

"Yeah…" Bruce replied glumly. "That." 

"Nope, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind!" Tony replied happily, placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. 

"Tony, I…"

"You'll be fine doc. Trust me. Besides, you'll be so elbows-deep in my science candy land that you won't have a minute spare to even think about the other guy."

Bruce smiled shyly and set out to inspect the rest of the apartment, Tony slowly following him. Tony watched, intrigued by Bruce’s nervous energy that carried him around the room as he inspected the apartment.

From the moment they had met on the Helicarrier Tony had known they would get on. Of course Tony knew of the genius Doctor Bruce Banner, holder of seven PhDs and unmatched in scientific fields before falling victim to his own gamma experiments, but that was _Doctor Banner_. Meeting the man in person had been a completely different experience.

 _Bruce_ was modest, humble and Tony was fascinated by how a man so brilliant could be so awkward and nervous about his own abilities. He was the perfect foil to Tony and it hadn't taken them long to click and set a natural pace in working together that made them perfect partners when searching for the gamma signals. Tony simply had to voice an idea and Bruce’s mind would already be developing a practical approach and bringing it to life in a far better manner than Tony could come up with. 

It hadn't taken Tony long to realise that Bruce had to be his, hence the invitation to join him at Stark tower for some serious lab time.  
Now, as he watched Bruce move around the apartment he felt something, something deep inside that was more than a desire for a new lab partner and friend.

Tony ignored it. No need to complicate things he told himself. He would be spending most of his free time with Bruce anyway so it's not like he needed an excuse to spend time with him. 

“Okay, I'll stay.” Bruce said pulling Tony out of his train of thought. "But only if these labs are as impressive as you say they are." 

“Great! You will not be disappointed!" Tony exclaimed happily. "Let's head up to the R&D floors, you'll want to stay locked up here forever I promise!"

**

 

And that had been it. The start of their partnership, the start of something that would become more than either of them had ever expected. And now Tony stood here in the lonely, empty room.

Everything was exactly how Bruce had left it. An old pair of sneakers by the door, his clothes neatly folded in the wardrobe and some research notes on Ultron left scattered across the coffee table. Tony had wanted it to be exactly how he left it so if - _when_ -, Bruce returned he would know that Tony had never doubted him. 

As he looked around the uninhabited apartment Tony remembered why he didn't come down here anymore. Memories of their fight with Ultron returned to him along with the last glimpses he had of the Hulk fighting alongside him, never realizing that was the last time he may ever see his friend. Tony slammed his fist on counter unable to hold back his emotion any longer.

"Stupid green rage monster" he muttered, holding back tears. He would never know if it was Bruce or the Hulk who had chosen to run. He hoped for his own sanity that it was the Hulk. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew that it was Bruce who actively chose to run and hide from him, not when they had been becoming so close. 

Tony had been half tempted to fly to Fiji and search for Bruce himself but he knew that if Bruce didn't want to be found he would make sure he wasn't. Tony had to admit he had not expected it to be a year without any Hulk sightings. Every night before falling asleep he told himself 'any day now the big guy will get restless and out them both, then I'll bring Bruce home'. But weeks had turned to months and now a year.

Tony had plenty of things to keep himself occupied with lately but in the quiet moments alone thoughts of Bruce filled every moment. Every time he entered the lab and walked past all of Bruce's equipment and leftover research it was a painful reminder of what he had lost. He cursed himself for taking their time together for granted. 

He made his way into the bedroom. The bed had been remade since, Tony figuring that Bruce would appreciate fresh linen upon his return. Tony had also made a point to lay out a fresh set of pajamas for him too. Bruce would return to every creature comfort possible if Tony had anything to say about it. 

He sprawled himself out on the bed burying his face in Bruce's pillow. The scent was fading, almost completely gone but there were still traces of it if he positioned the pillow just right. 

He knew he was faced with a decision, did he let Bruce's items go into deep storage or did he have them transported to the new facility alongside his own possessions. 

He hadn't decided if the new facility would have a room for Bruce, ideally if he did it would be right next to Tony's. And labs too, there should be lab space set aside. Bruce had always enjoyed his own work space. 

Tony knew the others would object to him setting aside so much space for someone who by all accounts was probably never going to use it but at the end of the day he was the one paying for everything so he would take up whatever spaced he liked for whatever he pleased. 

The concern from his teammates however did make him wonder if it was time to start letting go of the idea that Bruce was ever coming back. But Tony knew Bruce would come back to them. The battle for New York had proven that already. Bruce had every opportunity to run and hide after the Hulk-out in the Helicarrier but no, he had chosen to return. Among all the chaos and destruction, Bruce hadn't run and hidden, he returned to fight alongside the Avengers, just as Tony had told them he would. 

Tony rolled over and stared up at the roof. 

"Friday, Run a scan please, news and or footage, keywords Hulk or Doctor Bruce Banner," he said aloud to the room in general. 

"Zero results," Friday's robotic voice called back.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "that's what I thought."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Friday, can you get some crates brought up to this level please?" 

"Of course Mr. Stark."

He stayed on the bed, staring up at the roof. He had to choose, storage or relocation, give up or remain hopeful? 

The sight of Bruce driving through the destroyed Manhattan streets on that rusted old motorbike while wearing borrowed clothes ran through Tony's mind as vividly as the day it happened. And he knew what his decision was. 

He pulled himself off the bed and opened the wardrobe. Inside were all of Bruce's neatly folded clothes. They were all so distinctively, _Bruce_. Nondescript shirts in plain colors and patterns all neatly folded and sorted for different occasions. He pulled out an old woolen sweater and held it against his face, feeling the coarse wool against his beard. If it were up to Tony he would get rid of them all and buy Bruce a full new wardrobe for his return and he knew Bruce would simply smile and thank him if he did. 

Tony smiled, the thought of seeing Bruce's reaction to Tony having saved all his possessions confirmed that there was no hope in hell he was sending it all away to storage. 

After several hours of packing Tony was sure he had all of Bruce's possessions that he needed and wanted to keep. After much deliberation he marked their destination as his own suite at the Avengers facility. He would hold off on assigning Bruce a room for now.

Besides, if Bruce did return Tony knew for a fact that he wouldn't be letting Bruce out of his sight for even a second so Bruce would have to accept the fact they would be sharing a room. 

That made Tony smile, yeah, sharing a room with Bruce, he loved the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be back to Sakaar with the Hulk (no time jump). Time to start preparing for the big fight! 
> 
> (I'd like to thank Rerin for beta reading this for me! Go check out her work if you're a fan of Sakaar fics!)


	9. A Memory of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The Hulk had been in control now for longer than he ever had previously. He had been starting to think he had finally managed to push Banner out completely but this sudden reminder of their old life told him he was not in control as he thought._

The Hulk's days were now filled with a routine that was previously unknown to him. He woke each morning, ate, dressed in his new gladiator attire, trained, spent time with the Grandmaster and then returned to his apartment. 

The Hulk only saw the Grandmaster, Topaz, a handful of guards and his favorite Scrapper. True to his word he had not ventured out among the people again but he often watched them from the window in his apartment in the mornings and evenings.

This morning he found himself staring out the window again, below were the ant like shapes of the Sakaarians going about their mornings with whatever it was people did. Hulk didn't know what regular puny people did with their days. All he ever did was smash and fight things, something that Banner never did. How boring, he didn't understand why humans never wanted to smash things all the time, they didn't know what fun they were missing out on. 

As the Hulk stared down at the busy city he was hit with a flash, a distant memory of Earth, certainly a memory of Banner's and not his own. He was standing at the window of a tower, looking down upon the busy earth city that they had saved together. Instead of space ships and the vibrant colors of Sakaar there were tiny cars and the dull gray skyline of New York. Grabbing his head, the Hulk backed away from the window, startled by the sudden resurgence of a memory that was not his own. 

The Hulk had been in control now for longer than he ever had previously. He had been starting to think he had finally managed to push Banner out completely but this sudden reminder of their old life told him he was not in control as he thought. 

The Hulk moved back to the window, forcing himself to look at the alien skyline and remind himself that he was here, on Sakaar, a place so far away from their previous home.  
As he stared he heard what sounded like tiny footsteps, moving as quietly as possible behind him. He didn't move, smiling to himself he listened to the approach of tiny feet and knew at once what it was. 

The footsteps stopped right behind him and, before the Scrapper had a chance to grab him, the Hulk dodged to the side and spun around. Clearly the Scrapper was caught off guard and had not realized the Hulk knew she was attempting to sneak up on him. Before she could react the Hulk seized her shoulder and pushed her to the ground. 

"Hey, Little girl," the Hulk greeted cheerfully as she hit the floor with a thud. "No sneak up on Hulk," he laughed, reaching down to pull her off the floor. 

"It's the big match tomorrow," she stated indignantly. "Ready for your final day of training?" 

"Hulk not need training any more, Hulk win easy," he boasted playfully.

The Scrapper rolled her eyes and sat back in one of the lounges. "Get dressed."

 

Soon they were entering the training arena, geared up and ready for another session of sparing. They spent the first part of their session drilling through weapon manoeuvres until the Scrapper was happy enough with the Hulk's progress. 

Halfway through their training, on the other side of the arena one of the heavy metal doors slid open and led by the arena master came a small procession of gladiators, clearly geared up for their own practice session. 

"Wait here Big Guy," the Scrapper stated before making her way over towards the small crowd. 

The Hulk watched curiously as the other gladiators began to stretch and spar with one another on the other side of the arena. He had never seen anyone else training in here, he had always had full use of the arena alone with the Scrapper. 

He looked over to see that she was now engaged in a heated argument with the arena master. She gestured over to the Hulk several times and looked unhappy with the response she was receiving. The Hulk wondered if he should go over and help his friend, but she had told him to stay here, so he obeyed her. 

His attention was drawn back over to the gladiators who had now paired off and were taking it in turns to spar with one another. He wondered if the Champion he was supposed to be fighting was over there among them. From the looks of them the Hulk knew he could defeat any one of them easily. If it weren't for the crowds of Sakaarians that wanted to see him fight he would simply go over there and crush all the competition now. 

He saw that the Scrapper was making her way back towards him now, clearly annoyed. 

"It looks like we're going to have to share today Big Guy," she told him. 

"Who they?" the Hulk asked gesturing towards the other gladiators. "Hulk fight them tomorrow?"

"No, they're the warm up act. They fight at first to get the crowd warmed up for you."

"Warm up?" the Hulk asked.

"Yeah, fight a bunch of creatures and weaker fighters to make the audience more excited for your big fight. They're not supposed to be in here during our training session but since the fight is tomorrow they need the extra time to practice." 

The Hulk had never realized there were this many gladiators on Sakaar. As he continued to stare at them he wondered why it was he had never seen them all around the Grandmaster's palace. Where were their apartments? 

Suddenly he felt the sting of the Scrapper's blade on his skin, roaring in discomfort he looked down at her. 

"Don't get distracted," she ordered, pointing her blade up at him threateningly. 

They continued their training session but there was something about the group of gladiators on the other side of arena that the Hulk just couldn't help but get distracted by. The Scrapper landed several good hits on him that she never would have normally simply because he couldn't keep his focus on their fight. 

"What is wrong with you today?" The Scrapper asked angrily as she landed another hit on him. "Your championship fight is tomorrow, we can't afford this... are you even listening to me?"

But the Hulk was not listening, he had once again turned to stare at the group on the other side of the arena, a realization was creeping up on him. As the team of gladiators moved in unison together and called out instructions as they sparred the Hulk realized what it was that made him unable to look away. 

He watched as one of the stronger fighters lent down and boosted a smaller fighter into the air so they could attack another. They dodged and rolled together, laughing and praising each other as they landed successful blows and perfectly executed manoeuvres. 

They reminded him of the Avengers . 

For the second time that day the Hulk was reminded of the Earth and everything that had been left behind. He was vaguely aware of the Scrapper at his side, shouting protest and beginning to pull on his arm but he was so fixated on the image in front of him that he couldn't hear anything she was saying. He pushed her away with his hand not wanting to be interrupted from this moment.

He remembered all the missions he had gone on with his own team. They had always given him his favorite job, smashing whatever enemies he could get his hands on in the area. They were always there though, the man in the iron suit buzzing around his head and praising him every time he destroyed something critical. The god of thunder zapping things with lightning before boasting that he was stronger than the Hulk, even the small red haired woman who was tougher than she looked. 

The Hulk had never felt much at home on Earth except for when he was fighting alongside the Avengers. The competitive edge they always bantered about as they fought had been one of Hulk's favorite things. He was the strongest, there was no doubt about that, but the others liked to think they stood a chance against him. 

The Hulk began to feel something stirring within him, it wasn't anger, it was a kind of sadness, _a longing_. 

_He wanted to go home._

His breathing quickened as he was hit with this wash of new emotions, he could feel Banner at the back of his mind.

The reminder of Banner was too much, he shook his head, forcing himself to remember why he had decided to leave in the first place. They called him 'Banner', he was never the Hulk to them, always Banner. No matter how often they fought together they never wanted the Hulk to stay and celebrate their victory. As soon as the fighting was over they wanted Banner back. Why hadn't they wanted the Hulk? Why wasn't he their friend like Banner was? 

He had worked so hard in the fight against Ultron with them, one of the team and just as valuable as any of the others. When it was time to leave however the red headed woman had appeared, once again urging him to transform back into Banner. After everything he had done once again it was the puny Banner that they wanted back. 

That was why, high above the earth in the Quinjet he realized he wanted to leave and find somewhere they wouldn't force him to change. Where they would accept the Hulk for who he was and not the scientist he happened to share this body with. The Hulk wondered if it weren't for Banner would the Hulk just be one of the monsters they were fighting against to protect the earth. If it hadn't been for the puny scientist would the Giant Ironman have killed him instead of simply knocking him out ?

The Hulk began to stagger around the arena, still unable to hear the calls from the Scrapper. The other gladiators were staring at him now. Everyone was staring as he roared in anger and held his head in his hands unable to process everything that was happening in his head. He had never had to deal with this many thoughts and feelings before. Was this what it was like for Banner all the time? How could such a tiny man deal with so many emotions and thoughts all at once?

The Hulk looked around at everything before him, the arena, the armour strapped to his body, the alien beings staring at him. He was becoming overwhelmed by every possible sensation and for the first time the reality of his situation caught up with him. He roared in discomfort and confusion, trying to channel these emotions into anger so that he could process it in a way he was familiar with. 

He couldn't stay here. He had to leave. Looking around for the nearest exit but found he was too disorientated to find the nearest escape route. Looking over head he could see the sky, a way out. With a running leap the Hulk propelled himself up and onto the roof of the arena. Once there he was greeted with the sight of Sakaarian skyline.

A flash of this morning's memory hit him again and he roared in anger at the alien city. He hated how suddenly he was reminded of Earth again. He needed to get out. Needed to find somewhere that he could purge these memories from his mind before Banner could get a strong enough grip to take control. He turned towards where he could see the outskirts of the city, the wastes where the wormholes dumped the trash and junk from all over the universe.

He leapt towards it, landing on roof tops and landing pads as he made his way out of the city. He heard several screams and cries as he dove past buildings and ships but he never stopped to look at what was behind him, instead keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon. 

Finally, landing in a clearing surrounded by the mountains of junk, the Hulk stopped. A harsh wind was blowing through the wasteland causing loose pieces of rubbish to fly through the air. It was still quieter out here though and he was alone.

He turned his attention to some large piles of assorted metal trash scattered around him. Seizing whatever he could he began to shred it with his bare hands, destroying whatever he could get within his grasp. It felt good to destroy, good to forget about everything and simply smash. 

The more energy he expended on smashing things the less he thought about anything else. 

Then suddenly from behind, he heard a whistling sound that wasn't the wind. He turned around but it was too late, a large steel object made contact with his head and he was pushed down. Recovering and rearing up in anger he was saw that it had been thrown from the top of a junk pile nearby. Standing there was the Scrapper , a fierce look on her face. Without a word she reached down and seized another hunk of metal and sent it sailing towards him. The Hulk smacked it out of the air with the back of his hand and roared at her before seizing his own piece of junk and throwing it at her. 

She dodged it effortlessly and disappeared behind the steel frame of a destroyed spaceship. "You'll have to try better than that Big Guy," she called from her hiding place.

The Hulk couldn't see where she was hiding so simply threw a continuous barrage of scrap in her direction hoping that at least one piece would find its mark. 

The Scrapper did not reappear which caused the Hulk to cease in his throwing, instead scanning the landscape for where she might appear from. He tried to listen for her but the rushing wind was making it hard for him to hear her movement.

Then, from behind he sensed her, leaping through the air and swinging a steel pole that made contact with his face, sending him tumbling to the ground. 

"OW!" the Hulk yelled cradling his head. "Why hurt Hulk!?" he yelled at the girl as she landed not too far away from him. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, _Champion-to-be_ ," she mocked. "Can't handle it?" A grin had appeared on her face and she ran at him, lifting the pole over her head to strike once again. 

The Hulk rolled out of the way, causing the pole to hit the ground next to him. He was quick and seized it, pulling it towards him so the Scrapper stumbled and was forced to let go. 

Standing up he bent the pole in half and tossed it over his shoulder. 

"Hulk strongest," he boasted.

"Then prove it," she coaxed, beginning to run at him. 

There they stayed, throwing, hitting and destroying everything they could get their hands on as they fought one another in the most demanding sparring session so far. They were closely matched until the Hulk managed to catch the Scrapper off guard and seized her in his hands around the waist, lifting her off the ground. 

"Let me go!" she protested as she attempted to break free of his grasp by flailing and slamming her tiny hands against his own. 

The Hulk simply let out a booming laugh at the sight of the tiny scrapper in his hands. "Little girl angry," he observed as she continued to try and break free. 

"You'll pay for this," she said through gritted teeth as she struggled. 

The Hulk dropped her back to the ground, their fight clearly over. "Angry girl," the Hulk joked as he watched her straighten her clothes.

Her annoyed expression turned to one of acceptance as she rolled her eyes. 

The fight had done the Hulk good, the panic attack from earlier expelled from his system. He focused his attention on the Scrapper who looked back at him. 

"I was worried you might be trying to leave," she said, indicating towards a nearby wormhole. 

"Hulk think about it," he admitted. "Little girl come to stop Hulk?" 

"Of course!" she stated without hesitation. "Perhaps more violently than most people would consider normal..." 

"Hulk like angry little girl!" 

She smiled to herself before looking back to him. "Thanks Big Guy." 

Exhausted from their fight they began to head back towards the city together. The surge of emotions from earlier still lingered at the back of the Hulk's mind, but the excess use of physical energy and the reassuring presence of the Scrapper had done enough to push it away for now.

"So," began the Scrapper, "It's the big fight tomorrow. How are you feeling about it?"

"Ready to win!" The Hulk exclaimed happily. Providing nothing else triggered another strong memory form Earth he would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who takes time to read! <3


	10. Awake Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"How did this happen?" the Scrapper asked curiously. "Is this what everyone on your planet is like?"_
> 
> _Bruce laughed at the thought. "Nope, just me. It's a long story."_
> 
> _"I've got nowhere to be," she responded throwing herself down into one of the couches and picking up a bottle._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in update, the next three chapters are very tightly linked so I wanted to take extra time to write all three together. Expect the next two updates soon!

Together the Hulk and Valkyrie dragged themselves back to the Hulk's apartment, tired and ready to relax after their exhausting sparring session in the wastes.

The Hulk sank into the reassuring water of the hot tub while the Scrapper relaxed on one of the lounge chairs, drink in hand. The Hulk could still feel Banner lingering uncomfortably at the back of his mind. He splashed the water onto his face to help him focus on the present moment and not the distant memories of Earth that Banner was trying to make him think about. 

It wasn’t long before they heard the panicked voice of the Grandmaster coming down the corridor.

“Is he okay, is he safe?” The Grandmaster called as he swooped into the room, scanning it for any sign of the Hulk.  
The Hulk simply looked back at him in confusion, tilting his head to the side at the sight of the Grandmaster so flustered.

“Oh thank god,” the Grandmaster exclaimed, placing his hand over his chest as he spotted the Hulk bobbing in the water. “I heard there was an incident at the arena today, I feared the worst.”

“Nothing to worry about, Grandmaster,” the Scrapper assured him as she pulled herself up off the couch and crossed the room. “People like to exaggerate. Just an extra rigorous training session for tomorrow’s fight.”

“Of course, _of course_ , I should never doubt you 142. But I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how important it is that our green friend wins tomorrow.” He winked at her before stroking her arm affectionately.

"Yes of course, Grandmaster."

"Well, I’ll leave you two to, whatever it is you do.” He backed out of the room blowing a kiss towards the Hulk and waving as he went. The Hulk waved back watching the peculiar man exit before climbing out of the bath, dressing and moving to sit with the Scrapper. 

"So, do you want to tell me why you freaked out earlier," the Scrapper finally asked breaking the silence.

"Hulk not freak out. Hulk fine," he lied, to himself more than her. 

She let out a short laugh and shook her head. "It’s happened to me before you know. Something suddenly flips a switch in your head and all the memories of why you left come flooding back." 

"Hulk not know what you talking about." 

" _Mhmm_ , of course you don't." 

"What little girl running from?" he snapped back, annoyance growing at the insistent questioning.

The Scrapper opened and closed her mouth a few times before sighing. "There was... someone I loved but I failed to protect them." 

"So why leave?" the Hulk asked. His head twitched involuntarily as a tiny part of Banner reacted to the Scrapper’s words.

"Being around the place I lost them reminded me too much of my failings. I had to leave." She looked like she was holding back tears as she pulled up the large liquor bottle and drained the whole thing in several gulps. After finishing that bottle she went to the liquor cabinet and pulled down another bottle.

As she walked back towards him she spoke again. "What about you?"

"Hulk not run from anything." 

"Hey!" She snapped. "I told you, fair is fair. Did you leave anyone behind?" 

The Hulk opened his mouth to reply with a firm 'no' but the mention of leaving things behind stirred Banner even stronger within him.   
Suddenly the Hulk was thinking of Iron Man and he didn't know why, then the other Avengers filled his mind in a rush. The memories were coming from his other half, giving the puny Banner strength to fight for control. 

He punched himself in the face, attempting to create a sensation of physical pain that would override the emotions swelling within him and force Banner to back off. He couldn't let puny Banner take control, if he did the Scrapper was going to find out, she would see who he really was, see how weak he was.

"What's wrong!?" The Scrapper yelled scrambling to his side in concern. 

The Hulk continued to slam his fists into any part of himself he could reach but the memories and sensations of Tony Stark and that familiar, safe tower they had called home together were taking hold. The Hulk's anger was subsiding, being replaced with a longing and desire for their old life. The feel of his comfy bed, the beeping of the machines in the laboratory along with all the other creature comforts and company Bruce associated with them. 

The Hulk threw himself to the ground in one last desperate attempt, clutching at his head. “No Banner!” he yelled repeatedly. “No Banner!” But his voice was weakening with every word. 

“What?” the Scrapper asked confused, looking around the room. "Banner isn’t here.”

She continued to watch in shock as the Hulk began to shrink and the vibrant green of the creature's skin faded. 

The anger within was gone now and Bruce could feel the physical sensations of his body returning to him. He was laying on a hard floor, pooled in the over sized garments the Hulk had been wearing. Steadying himself he looked up to see the Scrapper standing over him, mouth hanging open. 

"Oh." was all she managed to stammer as Bruce sat up, surveying the room to get his bearings. So he was still on the alien planet, at least he wasn’t waking up somewhere different again.

"Hey," he managed, his throat was dry from all the yelling the Hulk had just been doing. 

"That explains a lot," the Scrapper said, taking a step back and staring down in shock. 

"Surprise," Bruce exclaimed. He held his head in his hand trying to focus on what was happening, he felt worse this time than any previous transformation back. As his fingertips brushed through his hair and he realized something. "My hair!" he remarked, raking his fingers through his now short cut curls. "Someone cut my hair? Wait no... someone cut the Hulk's hair.... The Hulk let someone give him a haircut?"

"Really?" asked the Scrapper, raising an eyebrow. "That's the thing you think is the most odd about this situation?"

"Sorry," Bruce begun. "I forgot how strange this probably appears to you right now. Pretty standard for me." He sometimes forgot that people didn’t know he was the Hulk. 

"So, you're..." she appeared to be searching for the right words.

"The Hulk? Yeah. _Well_ , the Hulk is me, actually. If you want to get technical." 

"But you're not the same person?" She asked, clearly trying to piece together his and the Hulk's relationship. “That explains why you showed up here out of nowhere without any clothes last time.”

"We used to share control, sort of. But the big guy got sick of sharing I guess," Bruce said. He looked down at the large Hulk sized robe his counterpart must have been wearing. It was the first time he had transformed in anything more than ripped pants. So the Hulk was wearing clothes now he noted. 

"Sounds like him," the Scrapper remarked moving to a chest near the wall and pulling out some normal sized clothes before throwing them at Bruce. "Just in case you showed up without your clothes again," she remarked.

"Thanks. How long has it been by the way, since we last spoke?" Bruce inquired as he pulled the tunic over his head, grateful that she had the foresight to think of him.

"Hard to tell with Sakaar but probably about, a week? Give or take." She said with a shrug. 

Bruce frowned. "That's the longest he's ever had control," he muttered to himself.

"Wait," she said holding up her hand. "You're telling me that, _this_ ," she indicated him sitting on the floor. "This is what you normally look like and the Big Guy who I've been spending all my time with is, your alter ego?" 

Bruce smiled weakly. "Sorry to disappoint you." 

The Scrapper looked flustered. "I'm not disappointed! I just thought he was, _him_. When we met the other day I never would have suspected." 

“Not many people do,” he admitted, moving to look out the window. The alien city was still there along with all its wormholes and spaceships, it was real. He had been holding onto some tiny hope it had all been a dream last time, but clearly not.

"How did this happen?" the Scrapper asked curiously. "Is this what everyone on your planet is like?"

Bruce laughed at the thought. "Nope, just me. It's a long story."

"I've got nowhere to be," she responded throwing herself down into one of the couches and picking up a bottle.

Bruce laughed nervously. He really wasn't in the mood to regale her with his entire origin story. "Hasn't the Hulk told you anything?" He joked taking a seat opposite her. 

She shrugged. "Just a few stories about beings he fought. Saved the world from a puny god, as he put it.”  
"Woah, wait a second," Bruce exclaimed. "The Hulk _talked_ to you? Actually formed a sentence and told you about Earth?"

The Scrapper simply looked confused. "He talks all the time." 

Bruce was baffled, the Hulk was talking now? First he had figured out how to fly the Quinjet here and now he was wearing clothes and _talking_? Somehow Bruce found this news more astounding than the fact that he was on an alien planet. Bruce suddenly realized something. "Why am I here?" he asked. "One week the Hulk is in control and then suddenly he loses it.... why?"

"I don't know." The Scrapper confessed. "One moment we were just talking, the next thing he was throwing himself around looking terrified."

"What were you talking about?" Bruce asked inquisitively. If he could find out what the trigger to turn back was perhaps he could discover a way to get control back from the Hulk.

"I..." The Scrapper opened and closed her mouth a few times clearly not willing to give up the intimate details of her and the Hulk's conversation. 

"Please," Bruce asked, softening. "I'm not here to judge and it would really help me to understand the Hulk more."

"We were talking about loved ones," she huffed before taking a swig from the bottle. "I asked if there was anyone he left behind who loved him..." As she spoke she began to trail off. 

"Oh," Bruce responded, suddenly blushing at the realization that it was memories of Tony that had been in his mind as he had taken control back from the Hulk. So it had been the memories of the engineer that had weakened the Hulk's control. 

"At hearing that he freaked out and well, here you are." She looked up and clearly saw the flushed look on his face.

"He never was good with anything other than anger," Bruce mumbled trying to avoid her gaze.

"And you are?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

"Hey!" Bruce responded, unable to believe she was teasing him at a time like this. 

"So, do you?" she asked smiling.

"Do I what?" 

"Have someone who cares about the two of you?"

"I can't speak for the Hulk but yes, _I_ did, but not anymore. Being here," he indicated outside the window, "puts long distance relationship into a completely new context." Bruce suddenly became downcast, realizing just how far away he must be from Tony, the Tower and all the other Avengers. 

"And what daring person was willing to take on the responsibility of reining in the big guy?" She asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood by teasing him once again. 

"Genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist," Bruce responded without dropping a beat. He looked solely at her, the thought of Tony weighing heavy on his mind. That roguish grin combined with his reassuring presence that made Bruce feel like he was capable of anything. He would give anything to have Tony by his side right now.

The Scrapper laughed at first but the look on Bruce's face must have told her that he wasn't joking because she quickly stopped. "So why did you leave?" she asked.

"I didn't, the Hulk did." Bruce answered. "One of the advantages to sharing a body with an unpredictable rage machine is that sometimes you wake up somewhere completely different than you expect. This time he appears to have outdone himself." Bruce's mood was declining fast. He wanted to leave this place, he wanted to go home to the comforts of the Tower and his friends. He hated the Hulk in a whole new way for what he had done to them. 

Bruce stood up, glancing around the room to see what was at his disposal. Spotting the bed and several large pieces of armor he formed a plan. 

"What are you doing?" the Scrapper asked as Bruce made his way to a large Hulk sized breastplate near the bed. 

"Leaving," Bruce responded simply as he used every ounce of strength he had to drag the armor to the bed. 

"You can't leave," the Scrapper remarked, clearly taken aback.

"Watch me."

"The Champion fight is tomorrow! The Hulk needs to be there!" She blurted in protest.

"Yeah, well too bad for him. Bruce Banner needs to be in bed on earth with a cup of tea and a good book."

She scoffed at hearing this. " _You're_ going back to Earth. Do you even know how?"

"The Hulk got us here, I'm sure I can figure out how to get back." he huffed, heaving the armor up onto the bed. The Scrapper slammed her hand down on breastplate, startling him.

"If the Hulk doesn't show up for that fight, I'm dead," she exclaimed angrily but seeing his startled expression she softened. "Plus he's my friend, I don't want him to go."

"You can come with me!" Bruce exclaimed happily as he retrieved the large helmet and threw that onto the bed too. Of course, he thought to himself, that would be perfect. She could help show him the way off this planet and return to Earth with him, she would fit right in among the Avengers. 

'What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, it's perfect, you'll love it on Earth." He said without looking at her as he covered the armor with the Hulk's blankets.

"No offence, but the Hulk really likes it _here_ ," she stated. "And I sort of promised him I would stop you from taking him away."

Bruce's brow furrowed. "Wow, you two are really close huh?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" she asked critically. 

"If you know the Other Guy like I do then yeah, it kinda is," Bruce responded but realized something. "But I'd like to," he added. "I can't stay here though, look at me. I'm not a fighter like you." 

"Change back then?" She suggested.

Bruce felt a pang of anger at this. Why did people always want him to be the Hulk? Whenever it suited them it was 'code green' and Banner had to let the Other Guy take over. Why did people have such a hard time believing he was useful too. 

"I have to go home," he stated looking her directly in the eyes before brushing past to head towards the doorway. He knew his way to the Quinjet but beyond that he had no plan, he was sure he would figure something out. He was _Bruce Banner_ , smartest man on earth after all, Tony had always made a point to remind him that.

As he looked ahead to the corridor he stopped dead in his tracks. A stern, armor clad woman was walking down towards the entrance of the apartment followed by several armed guards.


	11. A Dawning Realisation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I’m glad you have arrived Banner,” the Grandmaster stated happily as he stared intently at Bruce. “It’s so sad to see beautiful people like yourself so lost in the universe that they have nowhere else to go.” The Grandmaster reached out and seized Bruce’s hand gently holding it between his own. “But you are home now. And you are loved.”_
> 
> _“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Bruce began. “L-lost?”_
> 
> _“Well of course,” the Grandmaster said. “Sakaar is the home of all things that become lost in the universe. Struggling to find a place where they belong and are love they come here, to me where they are loved and have value.” The Grandmaster leaned in so close that he was speaking into Bruce’s ear so that no one else could hear. “And you are one of the most lost things I have ever seen.”_

Bruce retreated to the Scrapper's side at the sight of the approaching guards, were they here for him? Perhaps someone had seen him transform without them knowing. 

"Who’s that?" Bruce whispered to the Scrapper as she stood in front of him in an attempt to shield him from the guards’ view. 

"Topaz," she whispered back, watching the guards file into the room. "The Grandmaster's personal bodyguard." 

"The Grandmaster requests your and the Champion-to-be's presence at his side for dinner" Topaz announced.

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief at hearing that his secret hadn't been given up yet. 

"Speaking of," Topaz continued, looking around the room for a sign of the Hulk. The Scrapper went rigid clearly trying to think of an acceptable lie as to the Hulk's whereabouts. Luckily Bruce had been preparing for this.

"Asleep!" Bruce blurted, stepping out from behind the Scrapper and gesturing to the mound of armor under the bed sheets that he hoped would pass for a sleeping Hulk. He flinched as Topaz glared at him suspiciously. 

"And you are?" she asked.

Bruce froze, he hadn't even thought about his own cover story. He found his finger darting up to his lips to gesture for her to be quiet. 

"Shh," he began, lowering his voice. "Haven't you heard the phrase, Don't wake a sleeping Hulk?" Bruce laughed awkwardly and regretted it instantly as her gaze fell solely on him. He looked at the Scrapper, hoping she would understand. After a confused glance back at him she clearly caught on. 

"Yes," she nodded, lowering her voice as well. "The Big Guy is uncontrollable if you wake him."  
Topaz stared at the two of them blankly, not giving away an indication as to whether she had bought the lie or not. She slowly turned her gaze towards the lumpy figure in the bed causing both the Scrapper and Bruce to move themselves in front of it.

"We should go," the Scrapper stated, placing her hand on Bruce's back to urge him forward. "Let the Champion get his rest." 

"Yeah, it's the big fight tomorrow," Bruce agreed, still in a hushed voice. "He'll need all the sleep he can get."  
Topaz continued to stare at them blankly as they attempted to leave but as they attempted to move past her she held her large staff up threateningly causing the other guards to raise their weapons as well. 

"The Grandmaster requested the company of _both_ of you," she directed at the Scrapper in her own hushed voice. 

The Scrapper exhaled heavily and folded her arms. "Lead the way then," she said, much to Bruce's dismay. 

As Topaz exited the room, they followed a short distance behind flanked by the guards, Bruce looking around confused at what he was expected to do. The Scrapper's hand shot out and grabbed the front of his tunic, pulling him along with her. 

"What are you doing?" he whispered so that Topaz would not hear. "I can't have dinner with the Grandmaster." 

"Yes, you can, it will be easy trust me." She eyed him up and down. "He'll love you," she added as an afterthought.

Bruce brushed her hand away from dragging him and whispered urgently as he walked along beside her. "If the Grandmaster finds out who I am, I'll-"

"He won't find out anything unless you tell him. Once dinner is over we'll get you back to the apartment and then-"

"Yes?" Bruce interrupted. "Then what?" He knew what she was going to say but Bruce was determined he wasn't going to transform again. 

"I don't know," she replied. "We'll worry about it once we get through this." 

They walked in silence for a while, still being escorted by the guards. The last thing Bruce felt like right now was dinner with this Grandmaster, all he wanted to do was get back to the Quinjet. 

"Good job by the way," the Scrapper said, breaking the silence. "The lie about the Hulk in bed. At first I thought there was no way they would buy it, but I guess I was wrong."

"Thanks," Bruce replied glumly. 

She looked down at him sympathetically. “I know this isn’t ideal but we can get through it, together.” She extended her hand out to him. 

Bruce looked between her eyes and the extended hand several times before smiling weakly and accepting the handshake. “Together,” he agreed.

 

They reached a large set of doors that were thrown open by the guards, inside was large table set out with a wide variety of food. At the sight and smell of the food Bruce realised how hungry he really was, he supposed a quick meal wouldn't be a bad idea. 

"There she is," came an excited sing-song voice from the other side of the room. Bruce looked around to see one of the most eccentrically dressed men he had ever seen. Golden robes, neon makeup and perfectly styled grey hair, was this the Grandmaster? Bruce had expected someone more fierce looking. _This_ was the man that had won the Hulk's loyalty and convinced him to stay on Sakaar as Champion? 

As the Scrapper explained the Hulk's absence to the Grandmaster Bruce continued to stare; He thought he was starting to understand parts of Sakaar but this was something he had not been expecting. 

"And who is _this_?" The Grandmaster's attention was finally drawn towards Bruce as the Scrapper introduced him as her newest acquaintance to arrive on Sakaar. As the Grandmaster swept across the room towards him, Bruce didn't like the way this man’s eyes were devouring every inch of him, almost hungrily.

"B-Banner," he stammered holding out his hand so the Grandmaster could shake it. The Grandmaster however lifted Bruce's hand delicately in his own and raised it to his lips, kissing it without breaking eye contact. 

"Banner?" The Grandmaster observed, releasing Bruce's hand. "Wonderful to meet you. _Please,_ my poor lost thing won't you join us?" the Grandmaster gestured towards the table. 

Bruce nodded and made his way towards a chair. Towards one end was a larger more ornate chair that clearly belonged to this eccentric man so Bruce took a chair several places down from it. The Scrapper opted for the chair across from the Grandmaster. 

"Oh please," the Grandmaster cooed, "don't be shy, sit here next to me." He pulled out the chair directly next to his own and petted it, indicating for Bruce to sit. 

Bruce looked over at the Scrapper with an expression of 'help me' but she was clearly trying to stifle a laugh as she poured herself a drink. Without any alternative Bruce awkwardly made his way to the chair and set uncomfortably on the edge of it.

As soon as he sat he felt the Grandmaster's hand ruffle his hair. "You have beautiful curls," the Grandmaster complimented, running his fingers through them one more time. "And the gray undertones, they suit you." 

Bruce could hear the Scrapper struggling not to laugh in her drink as she watched this scene unfold. Bruce tried to kick her under the table but missed. She looked up at him amused.  
Bruce usually wasn't comfortable with anyone touching him, Tony and a few of the other Avengers being the exception, but Bruce knew he just had to stomach it and get through it all. 

Was this how the Grandmaster acted with the Hulk? Did the Hulk like this kind of attention, was this why he let the Grandmaster keep him locked up in that room, like a pet to be fawned over?

Bruce focused his attention on the food in front of him, he had no idea what any of it was so chose a dish at random and pulled it towards him. 

“I’m glad you have arrived Banner,” the Grandmaster stated happily as he stared intently at Bruce. “It’s so sad to see beautiful people like yourself so lost in the universe that they have nowhere else to go.” The Grandmaster reached out and seized Bruce’s hand gently holding it between his own. “But you are home now. And you are loved.” 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Bruce began. “L-lost?”

“Well of course,” the Grandmaster said. “Sakaar is the home of all things that become lost in the universe. Struggling to find a place where they belong and are love they come here, to me where they are loved and have value.” The Grandmaster leaned in so close that he was speaking into Bruce’s ear so that no one else could hear. “And you are one of the most lost things I have ever seen.” 

Bruce froze, trying his hardest not to let the emotional effect of these words show on his face. Years of being on the run and never having a stable home had certainly made him feel lost many times in the past but not anymore, not since the Avengers- 

But no, Bruce realised, he wasn’t the one who had come to Sakaar, it had been the Hulk. The Hulk was the one who had felt so helplessly lost that he had somehow brought them here. 

"I was telling our friend Banner here how much you love the Hulk," said the Scrapper. 

Bruce looked up at her grateful that she had jumped in to fill the silence as he sat clearly struggling internally. Bruce turned to focus on the Grandmaster curious to find out more about the relationship between the Hulk and the self-professed lover of ‘lost things’, 

"Oh!" The Grandmaster placed his hand on his chest looking at Bruce. "Isn't he just wonderful. Big, Green, powerful! I never want him out of my sight." 

"Surely there are other qualities that are important apart from strength,” Bruce suggested.

"Well I must say, I find his naive attitude adorably endearing. And the people of Sakaar love him of course. Finally they have a champion who is worthy of representing them. Oh yes, our Green friend has a long happy time ahead of him here." 

Bruce felt a lump form in his throat, the idea of the Hulk ever being described as having a long happy life ahead of him was a shock. Not too long ago Bruce had assumed it would be he who had the happy life ahead of him, now the opposite appeared to be true. He was still having a hard time believing it was the Hulk who had found somewhere to be happy. 

"And it's all thanks to my favorite scrapper," the Grandmaster announced. "The one who brought him to me!" He raised his glass up, the Scrapper doing the same appreciatively. They both looked at Bruce who fumbled for the nearest glass. 

As they ate the Grandmaster was attentive to Bruce’s every need, refilling his drink, asking if the food was acceptable and even going as far as to attempt to hand feed Bruce several things. The Grandmaster was very hands-on, it felt like he found any excuse to touch Bruce throughout the meal whether it be complimenting various aspects of his appearance or just outright flirtation. Bruce was taken aback at how familiar the man was being with him but he supposed a benevolent dictator is used to getting everything they want. Did he really care about Bruce’s well being this much after just meeting him?

As uncomfortable as Bruce felt at some of the physical contact, something that he had only recently been getting used to with Tony, he saw that underneath the Grandmaster was a very caring man. Bruce never liked being the centre of attention and this infatuation the Grandmaster was displaying was no exception. It was however another piece of the puzzle. 

The Scrapper showed the Hulk a level of friendship the beast had probably never known, the arena provided him with a place to constructively apply his anger and strength in a way that earned him praise and this doting, loving attention from the Grandmaster showed a level of care even Bruce was unsure he had received before. 

Sakaar seemed to be going out of its way to be the perfect environment for the ‘lost’ Hulk and from what Bruce could tell since they arrived no innocent lives had accidentally been taken. As Bruce came out of his own thoughts he caught the tail end of a conversation.

"After tomorrow's fight there will be no doubt about the success of the Contest of Champions and how lucky we are to have the Hulk!" The Grandmaster exclaimed excitedly to them. The Scrapper made a sound of agreement as she downed yet another drink. 

"I think the Hulk will feel lucky to have all of you too," Bruce added causing the Scrapper to look across at him with a look of confusion. He smiled back at her with a reassuring nod and was happy to see the small smile that crept across her face. 

After the meal was finished Bruce and the Scrapper were escorted from the room however the guards didn't escort them back to the Hulk's apartment, instead they were taken to the entrance of the Palace. 

As the large doors were sealed behind them Bruce turned to the Scrapper, unsure what their next move was supposed to be. He hadn't even thought this far ahead himself. 

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to get back in," The Scrapper explained turning to leave. 

As she walked away Bruce wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next. He originally had no intention of returning to the Hulk's apartment but he found that the meeting with the Grandmaster had thrown doubt on that. He supposed he could always go and sleep in the Quinjet and then figure out his plan in the morning. He watched as the Scrapper walked away, torn by what he should do. 

"Coming?" She called over her shoulder expectantly. 

 

After a short walk through the streets of Sakaar they arrived at what Bruce supposed was the equivalent of an Earth apartment building. 

Her apartment was small and had similar decor to the Hulk's without however the large hot tub. A large window showed what appeared to be a collapsing Neutron Star inside of an Einstein–Rosen bridge

Bruce had only ever read about such events in journals and scientific theories, he never believed he would actually see one. As he stared out at the magnificent almost impossible sight, he smiled to himself, it was a beautiful sight and one he would have never have dreamed of seeing with his own eyes. For a brief moment the scientist in him was alive, marveling at every detail, he was also beginning to understand how the Hulk had arrived here. He had a theory, one that might make it possible to- 

"Thanks for what you said at dinner." The Scrapper interrupted from behind him. "About the Hulk being lucky to have us."

Bruce turned away from the window to look at her. "I meant it. The Hulk has never really had anyone looking out for him like that. Well, no one who didn't know he was _me_."

"I looked for you, you know?” She said, trying to act slightly disinterested. “After I left the jet last time we met. I couldn't stand the thought that you were walking around without any idea where you were," she admitted.

"Thanks," Bruce replied. "Sorry I didn't tell you I was the Hulk when we met. I figured if you knew you would try and force me to change back."

"Honestly I feel ridiculous not even realising you were the same person," she laughed. "It was all a bit too convenient now that I think about it." 

"Thanks for looking out for him, I can see why he likes it here." 

"Thanks."

"Of all the planets he could have been stuck on, I'm glad it was here with you."

"Stuck?" The Scrapper responded her mood faltering slightly.

"No, wait, I didn't mean it like that." Bruce apologized.

"But you are aren't you?” she shot back. "You said it before that you wanted to leave."

"Well, I have a home," Bruce mumbled. He had been caught up in how much the Hulk loved it here that he not been thinking about himself and everything he had lost by being here.

"The _Hulk_ is home," she said calmly.

"No," Bruce shook his head starting to feel tears welling in the corner of this eyes. "The Other Guy, he doesn't do that sort of thing." Bruce said trying to convince himself. "He smashes and destroys everything I try to build up. I had finally found a-" 

The Scrapper silenced him by reaching forward and taking his hand in her own. "Well I've spent a lot of time with him lately and I can tell you, the Big Guy just wants somewhere to belong, and Sakaar is the perfect place for that." 

Bruce thought about everything he had seen, and knew she was right. This was the perfect place for the Hulk, there was no denying it.

"Are you sure you even know the Hulk at all?" The Scrapper asked raising an eyebrow.

This last line made Bruce stumble. Perhaps he didn't know the Hulk after all. He had always lived under the assumption that the Hulk wanted nothing more than to smash and destroy things but now here he was, with an even more stable life than Bruce had. 

"Why don't we get some sleep? The Scrapper suggested. I don't know about you but It's been a long day and tomorrow will be no doubt as long, what with the fight and all..." Her voice trailed off as she realised the implication of what she was saying. 

She cleared off the couch of bottles and brought out a spare blanket for him before saying good night and retreating into her own room.

Bruce didn't sleep, instead he stood at the window staring out at the city and various wormholes. So the Hulk was happy here. He had a best friend, a weird father figure that doted on him unconditionally and hordes of screaming fans that loved nothing more than to watch him smash things.

What did Bruce have on earth? Constant fear dogging his every move, terrified that he was one hulk-out from destroying everything he loved. Friends whose companionship he enjoyed but at the same time always wondered if he was just plain Bruce Banner the scientist would they be his friends. Would he be an Avenger? And Tony, he had Tony. But did Tony know where he was? What if he thought Bruce had run away or died, would the engineer wait for him or move on? Or it could be worse, what if Tony thought Bruce didn't want him any more and had run away to avoid him? It was probably for the best anyway, Bruce always knew he would find a way to screw things up with Tony and here it was. 

Bruce realised that for once, it looked like the Hulk had his life together much better than Bruce ever had since their accident. Bruce had been struggling for years to find balance yet the Hulk managed it in just over a week. It appeared that the balance came in the absence of Bruce and his constant anxiety about the Hulk threatening earth. He had always assumed they were destined to be unhappy, a giant green monster and a tiny terrified scientist trying to keep him at bay, but what if that was the opposite.

He was sick of the Hulk trying to shut him out, he at least wanted to get back to how it was before, when both of them had a hand on the wheel, when they worked together. Bruce had always assumed the Hulk was unreasonable and selfishly wanted control for himself, but he was wrong, he saw that now. The Hulk just wanted to belong, just like Bruce had started feeling among the Avengers and his feeling of being lost was so strong it had somehow been powerful enough to summon them here to the planet of lost things.

Perhaps this was the first step in reconciling the rift that had been forming between the two of them. Perhaps if he let the Hulk see that he was sorry, that he wanted this to work, maybe the big guy would settle down. Maybe they could find peace.

Bruce knew what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again for reading and a special thanks to all those regulars who take the time to leave wonderful comments! I love reading them!


	12. Atonement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Please, I need your help, do you have your own ship?" He [Bruce] asked, lifting the pillow slightly so she could hear him better._
> 
>  
> 
> _"Yeah, but why?"_
> 
> _"I'll explain later. We've got to get back before they find the Hulk missing."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in update, I've been sick over the past week but I'm much better now so updates should be back on track.

"Wake up," Bruce whispered shaking the Scrapper. 

"Wha-" she grumbled slowly rising from the tangle of blankets.

"I need to go somewhere, can you take me?" 

"It's so early though. The sun’s not even up yet," she complained, now attempting to roll away from him and pulling a pillow over her head.

"Please, I need your help, do you have your own ship?" He asked, lifting the pillow slightly so she could hear him better. 

"Yeah, but why?"

"I'll explain later. We've got to get back before they find the Hulk missing."

"The Hulk being found missing will be the least of our problems if you don't let me get back to sleep," The Scrapper warned. 

"Please?" he asked after a short silence between them. 

The Scrapper groaned and Bruce had to duck as a pillow flew in the direction of his head. Bleary eyed and half asleep the Scrapper dragged herself out of bed and allowed Bruce to lead her out of the apartment. 

 

They found the Quinjet, still lying dormant and untouched where they had left it last time. Bruce placed his hand on the control panel to gain himself access. 

"Welcome, Strongest Avenger," the computer sounded. Bruce coughed nervously and tried to dismiss Tony's decision to give him this nickname as the Scrapper side-eyed him, curiously. Bruce figured it could have be worse given Tony's knack for impromptu nicknames. 

Bruce stepped inside the doorway, stopping as the Scrapper made to follow him.

"Actually," he begun. "Would you mind waiting here? There's something private I need to take care of." 

Her eyes narrowed at this. "You got me out of bed to stand around next to this hunk of junk while you 'take care of something'?"

"It's important," Bruce attempted to explain but was silenced by the Scrapper holding her hand up.

"Whatever, just get it done quick," she stated. "But, if you try to fly away in this thing, I'll rip it apart with my bare hands."

Bruce grinned and nodded before heading inside. He thought it might be worth the escape attempt just to see her in action.

Stashed to the side of the jet was a pile of various Avenger possessions, dislodged from their holding boxes by the Hulk's rough landing Bruce presumed. Hopefully he would find a spare set of his own clothes here, prepared in case of a code green. Picking through the pile Bruce stopped and let a short breath as his fingers closed around a tshirt. Not his own shirt, but Tony's. A white t-shirt with a Nagal design on the front from one of Tony's favorite albums. Bruce pulled it out of the pile and brought it to his face, desperate to feel as close to his memory of Tony as possible. The shirt had the engineer's scent of all over it and Bruce held it close so he could get the full sensation. 

Bruce pulled his Sakaarian tunic off and pulled the t-shirt over his head so that he was surrounded by the scent of Tony and the familiarity of earth clothing. It was soft and clean, and closing his eyes for a short moment Bruce felt as if he could almost be home. Digging around more Bruce found the jeans, jacket and shoes to accompany the shirt. 

More searching revealed a utility bag tucked away, Bruce dumping out its contents on the floor before carefully placing the Jacket, shoes and jeans inside the bag. 

Moving to the front of the jet Bruce brought the control panel to life, searching for the correct function. The next part of his plan made him nervous, he was always terrible at this kind of thing but he knew this was something he had to at least try. 

He turned so he was facing the camera embedded in the jet's console and hit record. He sat in silence for a few seconds before finding the words he needed to say.

"Hi, Tony..." 

 

Several minutes later Bruce emerged from the Quinjet once again dressed in his tunic, backpack over one shoulder and an armoured Stark Industries case held tightly in his other hand. 

"Finished?" Came the voice of the Scrapper who was leaning up against the side of the jet.  
Bruce simply nodded, still trying to compose himself after the emotional strain the past few minutes had taken on him. 

"So what are we doing out here anyway," the Scrapper asked. “Decided to try and leave after all?" 

Bruce sighed and shook his head. "Not yet, I just needed to make a quick pit stop here first. The next part of the plan I need your help with. Can you show me which wormhole the Hulk came through to get here?"

She raised eyebrow suspiciously. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Do you want the Hulk to fight in tonight's contest?" 

She gave a half-hearted shrug in response which Bruce raised an eyebrow at. Giving in she nodded muttering, "the Hulk wants to."

"Help me out now and I _promise_ you the Hulk will be there." 

"Are you serious?" She asked, her mood picking up slightly.

"We're friends. Friends help each other out, and you said yesterday we're in this together."  
Bruce felt like he often had a hard time forming genuine bonds with people, but this was a friendship he wanted to believe in. Here at the end of the universe away from everything and everyone he had ever loved he should have by all accounts felt scared and hopeless but he found that when he was around her, he didn't.

"Well then," she conceded. "If you're dragging me all over the city at such an early hour we're stopping at one of my favorite spots for breakfast."

"Do we have time? We need to get back-" Bruce began, concerned.

"We've got time."

The Scrapper led him through a marketplace, given the hour was not as busy as the last time Bruce had been here but there were a few people around busily hanging decorations and painting various parts of their businesses, and themselves, green. There could be no doubt this was in anticipation for the Hulk's fight, but was everyone so sure that the Hulk was going to win? It appeared that everyone was already treating him as if he had. 

"They think it will bring luck," The Scrapper informed him. "It's not often a proper contender arrives out of a wormhole and does as well as the Big Guy. He's a pretty big deal by Sakaar standards." 

"I just hope the pressure won't get to him," Bruce joked.  
They reached a small food stand, the aroma of early morning cooking filling the air. The Scrapper called out in a language Bruce didn't understand and an alien emerged from the back, happily greeting her in the same dialect. 

She ordered for them and it wasn't long before her and Bruce were both presented with bowls filled with unknown food. Bruce was never a picky eater, a life on the run in so many different countries had made sure of that, so he began to eat without hesitation. 

As they ate, Bruce's hand absent mindedly moved down occasionally to feel that the armoured case was still resting on the ground next to him. 

"What's in there?" she asked curiously after she caught him checking again. 

"You'll see," he teased. "Just a little idea I came up with last night while I was busy being unable to sleep. Probably won't even work." 

Once they finished eating what was by all accounts a pleasant meal, (Bruce realising he could probably get used to Sakaarian food) they made their way to the hangar where the Scrapper's ship was stored.

The Scrapper's ship felt like the equivalent of a new car, the seats were perfectly upholstered and everything looked clean and sleek compared to the level of grime seen in the city. As they ascended the radio began playing bizarre Sakaarian music. Bruce was used to loud music playing in the lab as Tony worked but he had never heard anything like this before.

"The Grandmaster's own songs." The Scrapper explained clearly sensing his confusion. 

"The Grandmaster makes music?" Bruce asked. 

"Mhmm, one of his favourite past times. Sometimes he plays it for the Hulk," she added with a smirk. 

"Does the Hulk _like_ music?" Bruce asked.  
She shrugged. "Who knows, it's not like any of us really have a choice to not like anything the Grandmaster does."

"Yeah," Bruce admitted. "I got that impression." Although Bruce knew there was something about the Grandmaster that was _off_ there was just something about the energy that he gave off that drew you in.

Bruce watched curiously out over the wastelands as they flew across the wasteland of junk. "So all this stuff comes here because of the Grandmaster?" Bruce asked watching as all the debris fell across the landscape. 

"Who knows how it works."

Bruce stared curiously at every wormhole they passed, examining the items that fell from them. Some must have been from places so far away as the junk they dumped was unrecognisable to him. 

"There are so many wormholes out here. How did you come across the Hulk so fast?" Bruce asked. 

"Just one of those right place at the right time things probably."

"Fate?" Bruce asked smiling to himself. 

The ship eventually landed in a clearing, and the two friends descended down the ramp. Bruce set the case down on the dusty, junk-strewn ground and clicked the locks open, inside was one of Tony's prototype reconnaissance drones and its controller. Bruce set the drone on the ground and powered it up, thankful that it hadn't been damaged in the crash. Whirring to life the small drone lifted off the ground and hovered in front of them.

"What are we doing with this?" the Scrapper asked, intrigued by the small machine that was now buzzing around her head as Bruce practised controlling it.

"Just tying up some loose ends," Bruce muttered before sending the drone soaring into the air. He smiled to himself and looked sideways at the Scrapper slyly, then without warning he made the drone divebomb back towards them.

"Hey!" She yelled, quickly side stepping out of the way as Bruce corrected the drone's course to soar past them. 

They were both laughing now and Bruce stepped forward to stare up at the wormhole, sending the drone straight towards it, weaving past several pieces of falling debris as it went. Then, as quickly as it had entered the wormhole it was gone, almost as if it had never been there. Bruce stared up at the wormhole in silence, praying that this plan wasn't as ridiculous as it sounded in his head.

Even if it did survive the stress of the wormhole there were so many other variables to consider, like time. It could take a year, maybe twenty, for the tiny thing to arrive back on Earth. He presumed it was pointless, and that the drone would just be ripped apart in whatever void was beyond the wormhole but perhaps whatever impossible force it was that got him here would get the drone back. 

He felt the Scrapper's hand on his shoulder. "Whatever the point of that was, I hope it works out for you," she assured him. 

"Thanks," Bruce replied. “I hope so too.” 

"So what's next?" 

"Head back to the apartment and prepare for the fight," he said throwing the done's case and controller into a nearby junk heap without looking at her. 

"And you're going to-?"

Bruce nodded so she didn't have to finish the question. He had known all morning that this was his decision but now that the moment was approaching he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Hey," she said sympathetically. "It will be fine. There's no reason why you can't turn back occasionally. I'll convince the Grandmaster to let me take the Big Guy out once in a while."

"Perhaps," Bruce responded quietly. He felt her hand slip around his and squeeze gently then together they made their way back inside the ship.

As they flew back towards the Palace, the sun was starting to appear over the horizon. The light illuminating the wasteland against the glistening city, Bruce had to admit that it had its own charm about it, unlike anything he had seen on earth. It truly was beautiful and he was glad that he had the privilege to see such a place, even if it was for a short time. 

Of all the places he had seen around earth, none of them had this unique beauty that Sakaar radiated. A strange, beautiful city with people who loved and adored Hulk as well as the eccentric crazy master who ruled over them. Bruce felt like there could be no place else in the Universe like Sakaar, the place where lost things called home, the place he would now call home. 

A single tear escaped him as he stared out over Sakaar, even for all it’s beauty it would not be able to replace Earth, New York or Stark tower. His soft bed in the private apartment, his own lab space with every piece of equipment he would ever need, all gone. Even Tony and his mischievous grin right before jabbing Bruce with something and joking about getting the Hulk’s second opinion on their work. 

All the memories of his time at Stark tower would be held close to him as he took the next step in his and the Hulk’s adventure. The Avengers had shown Bruce what it was like to belong, what it was like to have friends and comradery even in the face of world wide threats. That however, was in the past, and Sakaar was future and it was time for the Hulk to discover all the things that Bruce had. Back on Earth the Avengers would have to learn how to live without Bruce and the Hulk just as they were learning to live without the Avengers. 

More than a single tear was falling down Bruce’s face now, and he was glad the Scrapper was too focused on piloting her ship to notice. Once they landed Bruce made no attempt to draw the journey out, instead marching with resolve back towards the Palace, the Scrapper hastily attempting to keep up with him.

 

Back at the Hulk's apartment, Bruce walked to the center of the room and stood glancing around at it for one last time. This was it, he wasn't sure for how long but he had come this far and he wasn't backing down.

"Oh," Bruce said, turning to the Scrapper. "I realised with all the madness that was happening, I never asked you your name."

"Brunhilde." She responded after a short pause.

Bruce nodded. "Well, _Brunhilde_ , look after the Other Guy and keep him out of trouble." 

"But what about you?" 

"I'll still be here, but I'm going to let the Hulk drive." He reached down and grabbed the backpack he had been carrying since the Quinjet. "But I need to ask you one more favor."

"Anything," she responded.

"Look after these. If something happens and you need _me_ back, show them to the Hulk." He threw the bag at her. 

She unzipped it and peered inside, her brow furrowed. "I don't understand-" 

"You don't need to, I'll understand, just show him them okay? 

"Okay," she replied, clearly getting swept up in the situation. "Bruce are you sure about this?" 

He nodded. "I am. It used to be that no one knew the Big Guy better than me, now I realize that's not true anymore. I need to fix that, show him that we can share control again." Bruce exhaled heavily, letting emotion rise within him. "No more shutting each other out." 


	13. A Fight to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Don't get overconfident. You think this fight is so easily won but you should never underestimate your opponent."_
> 
> _"Hulk strongest," he pouted, allowing the servants to resume painting him._
> 
> _The Scrapper scoffed and folded her arms, leaning back in the couch. "Fine, win without my help if you're so confident."_

The Hulk reared to life, instinctively scanning the area for danger, ready to lash out at any threats. But there were none, it was just himself and the Scrapper standing alone in the apartment. A transformation usually meant that there was danger, something puny Banner was unable to handle himself, but this time nothing. 

"Hi Big Guy," the Scrapper said approaching cautiously. 

Then the Hulk could feel him, Banner, sitting content at the back of the Hulk's mind. There was no struggle or fight from the puny man to regain control. 

"Why Hulk here?" he asked. "Why Banner become Hulk?"

"He thought you might want to fight in the contest tonight." 

This didn't sound like something that the tiny scientist would do but the Hulk had to admit, he could feel the man's content presence in his mind. Whatever the reason, the Hulk was just happy to be back in control. 

"So," the Scrapper asked. "ready for the big fight?" 

"Ready to win!" The Hulk responded confidently. He knew that nothing was going to keep him from winning the title of Champion.

It wasn't too long before servants arrived in the apartment. They spent the morning adorning the Hulk with his armour and painting his arms and torso with intricate designs. The process took a long time and the Hulk was becoming restless. Only the Scrapper's company and the thought that he would soon be fighting kept him seated and patient. As they painted the Hulk, the Scrapper attempted to run through the details of his opponent with him. 

"He's a fierce competitor," she explained. "He managed to kill several of the Scrapper gang members before they were able to bring him under control and sell him." 

The Hulk however was only half listening, he was too busy thinking about the sound that the crowd would be making when he entered the arena. The look of approval on the Grandmaster's face when he won. No longer would they all call him 'Champion-to-be,' he would just be the Champion. 

His daydream was interrupted by the Scrapper hitting him hard across the knuckles. "Are you even listening to me?!" She asked, clearly annoyed. He roared at the sudden pain, causing the servants to become startled and back away. The Scrapper held out her hand to assure them it was safe before turning back to the Hulk.   
"Don't get overconfident. You think this fight is so easily won but you should _never_ underestimate your opponent."

"Hulk strongest," he pouted, allowing the servants to resume painting him. 

The Scrapper scoffed and folded her arms, leaning back in the couch. "Fine, win without my help if you're so confident." 

Once he was fully decorated the two friends sat in the apartment enjoying a meal sent with the compliments of the Grandmaster who was too busy preparing for the evenings celebrations to see the Hulk before the fight. 

As the day drew on and the fight drew nearer the Scrapper, along with several other guards escorted the Hulk down to the arena's catacombs. It was much busier down here this time compared to the first night of the Hulk's arrival and many of the other gladiators were preparing to fight, selecting weapons off the various racks and sparring playfully against one another. As they crossed the room together the Hulk noticed that a lot of them stopped to stare at him as he passed through the chamber.

The Scrapper led him over to an empty corner of the room sitting him down before heading off to buy herself a drink. The Hulk watched on a nearby screen that showed the events were about to get underway. He heard the unmistakable voice of the Grandmaster announce that the fighting was about to begin. 

"When Hulk fight?" he asked the Scrapper as she returned, drinks in hand.

"Soon," she explained. "First they have some of the other gladiators fight each other to get the crowd warmed up. That way when you fight the crowds are already excited." 

The Hulk liked the sound of that, he wanted the audience to see the other weaker gladiator's fight so that when it was his turn they would see exactly how strong he was by comparison. The two sat happily together, commentating and evaluating the other fighters as they watched them on the screen until the Arena master approached them. "You're up next Green," he exclaimed gesturing to the entranceway. 

"Good luck," the Scrapper stated, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "I'll be watching from up there. Put on a great show and let them see why you're the strongest Sakaar has ever seen!"  
The Hulk grinned and nodded before making his way down the familiar tunnel just as he had on his first night. 

Waiting at the end he could hear the Grandmaster's voice echoing over stadium. There was a nervous but excited energy radiating from Banner inside of him and the Hulk felt somewhat reassured having the tiny man on his side again. The fight would be much easier knowing that Banner would not be there internally protesting at his every move.

The Grandmaster's voice announced the Champion fight and the Hulk heard him through the thick steel door. "Ladies and Gentlemen, your _Incredible Hulk!_ "

Finally, the doors slid open, the roar of the crowd erupted and the Hulk launched himself from his position out into the arena, skidding through the sand of the arena floor as he landed. The crowd cheered their approval and the Hulk looked up at them, enamoured at the sight of the cheering fans. He roared as loud as he could in appreciation of them cheering, attempting to put on a show like the Scrapper had told him. It must have been working, because as the Hulk roared the crowd's cheers increased and all throughout the audience he could see people with green banners and flags waving through the air. The other half of the crowd carried banners and were painted with symbols he did not recognise. They must be for whatever former champion he was fighting. 

As the Hulk continued to examine the audience, the Grandmaster's voice echoed over the arena. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, here he is, your reigning champion and favorite slithering serpentine, Draco Bellator!" 

The crowd once again exploded with applause, not as much as when the Hulk had entered, he noticed, but still a large amount. The people carrying the unfamiliar banners waved and cheered as the gates on the other side of the arena opened, revealing a small figure walking calmly out of the gates. It was a slight, reptilian looking beast, walking upright and carrying a glowing staff.   
Was this tiny thing really the Champion? If so then the Hulk figured he had already as good as won. There was no way this tiny thing would be able to stand up against him. 

The Hulk threw his weapons to the ground and cracked his knuckles. "You puny champion!" The Hulk yelled amusedly across at the reptile. "Hulk crush skull with bare hands!"

Without waiting for a reply the Hulk dove at the small creature, not wasting any time and hoping to end this fight in record time. closing the distance the Hulk attempted to grab the reptile but in an astounding display of speed the puny champion dodged at the last second. The Hulk stumbled, surprised that he had missed his opponent. Then, a sudden shock of pain shot through the Hulk's body causing him to roar in pain.

Turning, the Hulk saw that the source of the pain was the glowing staff, which the reptile had used to jab him with. The Hulk made another attempt to grab the creature but it dodged again and followed up again with another jab of the staff. This time it sent a shock through his calf muscle, causing the Hulk's leg to give out and cause him to fall. 

Across the arena the Hulk could see his abandoned weapons, if only he hadn't left them behind he would have had something to block with, now he was left vulnerable to the attacks from his enemy’s weapon. He and the Scrapper had spent many training sessions running through drills for this very purpose and now he felt foolish for ignoring her.  
Pulling himself back onto his feet, the Hulk started making his way back towards the direction of his weapons, if he could just get to them he could-

But it was too late, his opponent had clearly sensed his plan and had now placed himself between the Hulk and the discarded weaponry. The staff lashed out again and the Hulk attempted to block it with his hand but the second his skin made contact with the glowing end pain shot through his hand, it was agonizing and he couldn't help but cry out in pain at the sensation. This angered the Hulk, he was not accustomed to things hurting him in such a manner. 

Then it came, a barrage of attacks from the lizardman, one after another hitting every part of the Hulk's body. His opponent was small but quick and there was nothing the Hulk could do to fend off the attacks. The repeated blows to his legs and resulting shocks of pain caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. All around he could hear laughing and disappointed cries from the audience. 

He was failing, the audience wasn’t cheering for him anymore and the Little Girl was surely going to be angry with him for abandoning his weapons and disregarding her training. Pain continued to surge through his body as the lizardman continued the barrage of attacks on him.  
Every time the Hulk made to get up he found himself weakened by another attack causing him to collapse back into the ground. The audience's disapproval was becoming more and more evident as people cheered in support of his opponent. This was it, everyone was going to think he was weak, cast him out never to return. The Grandmaster would surely never look upon him favourably again after seeing this. 

But then in the back of his mind he could feel it, _Banner_ , urging him to continue the fight, willing the Hulk not to give up. Usually physical pain like this caused Banner to retreat away and let the Hulk deal with the situation, but this time the human side of their mind remained strong. Then the Hulk could feel it, Banner counting out the rhythm of the shocks and the several seconds of calm that came before and after each jab. Suddenly, the Hulk understood. 

He waited for the next jab, counting the rhythm himself as the lizardman continued its barrage of assaults. Then the second the next assault ended he seized the opportunity using the several moments of relief to shoot out his hand and seize the staff just as it was coming back in for another attack. The pain was unbearable and the Hulk screamed in pain but held on to head of the glowing staff. Through the pain that engulfed his body he could still feel his other half by his side, cheering and willing him to fight through the pain.

The lizardman attempted to pull the staff free of the Hulk's grip but it was too late, the Hulk had it firmly in his control. With all his might the Hulk swung the staff over his head sending the Lizard creature slamming into the ground in its futile attempt to hang on to the valuable weapon. The Hulk pulled himself up onto his feet as the creature attempted to recover but before it could he swung the staff over his head again. This time the lizard relented its grip halfway through the arc and tumbled across the ground. 

The Hulk roared up at the audience, taking the staff in his hand properly so that the pain ceased and raising it above his head to show them how he had disarmed his opponent. They erupted once again with support for him. 

This time he didn't allow himself to be swept up in the excitement of the crowd, not wanting to risk anything the Hulk snapped the tiny weapon in half, the glowing light fading as it broke.   
Now the Hulk turned towards the Champion staring down at the small creature as it scrambled up from the ground. The Hulk could feel it, for the first time since the battle of Manhattan he and Banner were in sync, every move they made was without contradiction. Soaring through the air the Hulk managed to snatch the tail of his fleeing opponent, raising the protesting creature up so it hung in front of him face to face. 

It hissed and attempted to scratch at the Hulk but he held it at arm’s length so it couldn't reach him. 

"You think they'll let you have your freedom if you defeat me?" The lizard hissed. "Once you beat me they'll lock you up in the catacombs just like everyone else." 

The Hulk roared with laughter at the creature’s feeble attempts to escape his grasp. Now that he had the upper hand there would be nothing this tiny thing could do to stop him. It was even resorting to try and talk with him.

"The Grandmaster he lies, tells everyone you chose to stay," the Lizard continued, clearly attempting anything that might cause the Hulk to spare his life, however hearing the small creature insult the Grandmaster was the final straw. 

With all his strength the Hulk pulled his arm back and threw the lizardman as high as he could into the air. The tiny body soaring high above the audience, every eye in the stadium watching.   
"Hulk not become champion to win freedom," he announced. Rearing back and then launching himself up into the air alongside the lizard. "Hulk champion because, HULK STRONGEST!" With these final words he brought his fist down heavily on the falling creature, sending it back down towards the ground at a tremendous speed. 

The thud and sound of splattering of flesh on ground echoed all around the arena as the creature made contact with the arena floor, the Hulk landing on his feet not too far away. As the dust settled from the impact all that was left were the mangled remains of the creature, lying in a pool of its own blood. 

All that the Hulk felt as he stared down at his now deceased opponent was the quiet yet distant concern of Banner. Concern over the creature’s final words and the implication of what they were truly involved in. The concern however was interrupted as the stadium erupted with the deafening cheers of the audience and the Hulk realised he had done it, he had become the champion. Everything had been leading to this moment since his arrival and as he looked up at the cheering ecstatic faces of the audience he became overwhelmed with it all. 

They were cheering for him, _their champion_.

The Grandmaster's voice suddenly filled the stadium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you our new Champion, the Incredible Hulk!" The audience cheered again and jumped up and down in celebration as green fireworks began to explode above them and the Hulk saw that the Grandmaster himself was approaching. A hovering platform made its way from the Grandmaster's viewing room towards the center of the stadium.

"There is of course, one last piece of business that requires our attention and as soon as it is complete," his voice dropped low and he raised an eyebrow, "the celebrations can begin." The Grandmaster spoke normally but his voice echoed around the stadium loud enough for everyone to hear.

Turing to the Hulk the Grandmaster reached out and seized one of the Hulk's hands in his own. "My dear Champion, your victory is of course a time for celebration and revelry but there is something I must ask you, here in front of all your Sakaarian fans." The Grandmaster turned circling around the Hulk so that everyone could see him as he spoke. "Usually, the question of the victor's prize is a matter discussed in private after the celebration, but I think this time we should do it here, for everyone to hear." The Grandmaster spun around and looked lovingly at the Hulk.

"By defeating the Champion you win your freedom. The freedom to leave Sakaar, to stop fighting in the arena and leave the title of champion behind to another contender."

The Hulk frowned, he didn't want to leave Sakaar, he had fought so hard for this and now he had achieved it, his first real personal achievement, he didn't want to leave it all behind. 

"To leave, me," the Grandmaster added, "and Sakaar, _forever_." 

The Hulk didn't understand why the Grandmaster was asking him this. Surely he knew that the Hulk loved being here more than anything. Why ask such a stupid question in front of everyone when he knew what the answer would be?

"Hulk stay!" He bellowed, looking down at the Grandmaster whose wicked grin grew at the sound of these words. 

"Once again, louder so that everyone can hear you," the Grandmaster said quietly and only to the Hulk this time. 

"HULK STAY" he roared so that everyone in the arena could hear. "HULK CHAMPION."  
As the audience continued their celebrations in the stands the Grandmaster spoke over them once again.

"Oh, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it straight from his own mouth, the Hulk is choosing to stay here. Just like all the other champions chose to stay rather than take the option of freedom and leaving us." The Grandmaster stood back up on his platform which began retreating towards his private viewing area. "Citizens, go now and celebrate in the streets! Celebrate the newest Champion of Sakaar!" 

 

The Hulk was taken back down through the catacombs and placed on an open topped ship, lined with the Grandmaster's guards, including Topaz.

"What now?" The Hulk asked, confused by what was happening as several servants began to remove his armour and instead wrap him in silk robes and a large beaded necklace. 

"We see your adoring public," Topaz responded, gesturing to the pilot who on her signal drove the ship forward through a set of hangar doors onto the streets. "Stand there and wave," Topaz ordered pointing to the centre of the platform. 

The Hulk obeyed but he wished it had been the Scrapper who had greeted him instead of these guards. His mind was taken off of it however when he saw the cheering crowds of Sakaarians in the streets. They were dancing, celebrating and throwing green powder over each other and the streets. Everything in the city was being becoming green as the people celebrated him. 

Against instruction the Hulk abandoned his position at the center of the ship's platform and moved to the railing at the edge to get a better look at the people celebrating.   
The citizens nearby rushed over and held out their hands attempting to touch any part of him. The Hulk reached down so that their tiny hands could brush over his as he passed. 

"Stay in the center," Topaz ordered from behind him.

"Hulk Champion now," the Hulk said without looking back at her, continuing to let as many Sakaarians reach out to him as possible. "Champion not take orders from you." With this he launched himself out over the railing and into the crowd of celebrating fans. At once they all rushed over to him and the Hulk found that for the first time he didn't flinch at the sight of approaching people. Instead he reveled in it, hoisting several of the smaller people up onto his shoulders and returning the hugs of all those who squeezed his arms and legs. Ignoring the protests of the guards above him on the ship the Hulk remained in the streets with the people, celebrating and reveling in the positive attention.

Inside his mind Banner celebrated too, the Hulk becoming overwhelmed at the feeling of how proud his other half was feeling of him. There was no fight to return back to their smaller human form, no desire to push out the Hulk so that the tiny scientist could return to his life. Instead he was content and happy to allow the Hulk to celebrate with the people around them. 

 

After several hours of dancing and celebration the Hulk was finally convinced to return to his apartment where he was delighted to see the Scrapper waiting for him. 

"Why Little Girl not at celebration? he asked as he entered the room. 

"Not really my scene," she explained, looking out of the window at the partying that was continuing on the streets. "I'm celebrating your victory in private." She held up one of his large liquor bottles that was already half empty. 

"Little Girl see Hulk win?" he boasted once he was by her side. 

"I saw you get over confident and nearly lose!" She retorted angrily before taking a swig of drink.

"Angry Girl again," the Hulk observed seeing the frown on her face. 

"I'm just saying I try and teach you these things for a reason," she responded.

"Hulk win in the end though!" he complained, slightly sad that she wasn't congratulating him as everyone else was. 

She stared harshly at him for a moment before softening. "Yeah, I know" she laughed before holding up a drink to toast him. "Well done, _both of you._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are curious, I picked the previous champion from some gladiator concept art in the Thor Ragnarok Art Book. 
> 
> Thanks again to Rerin for beta reading this chapter (I promise I'll watch my apostrophe use in future drafts!) .


	14. Across the Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Forgive my waking you sir, but I believe there is something that requires your attention."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"What time is it?" Tony slurred into the pillow._
> 
>  
> 
> _"4:07 am."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Then it can wait until morning, or just get Vision if it’s world endingly important."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that Tony's timeline jumped ahead last time so I'm placing this somewhere just before the events of Civil War.

"Mr Stark?"

FRIDAY's voice pulled Tony out of his dreamless sleep, it came several times before he was aware of exactly what was happening. He lifted his head heavily from his pillow and tried to force his eyes open, it was still dark. 

"What is it?" he mumbled letting his head fall back into the pillow hoping to fall straight back to sleep. 

"Forgive my waking you sir, but I believe there is something that requires your attention." 

"What time is it?" Tony slurred into the pillow. 

"4:07 am."

"Then it can wait until morning, or just get Vision if it’s world endingly important."

"Sir, I believe it is something of personal importance to you," the robotic voice insisted. 

Tony groaned, rolling over to find a new comfortable position, he was being drawn further and further out of sleep now and he needed to get comfy again. "Nothing's important at four in the morning," he yawned. 

"A drone from the Quinjet Doctor Banner was on has appeared on our satellite system."

Tony sat bolt upright in the bed, now fully awake. 

"Where is it?" He demanded throwing off the covers and climbing out of bed. 

"The North Pacific ocean sir, it just appeared suddenly on our radar. The drone itself is not functioning, it appears to be stationary. It appears to be attempting to transmit to Stark frequencies but is too far out of range-"

"Suit, now!" Tony yelled and ran towards the balcony door and throwing it open. The Mark XLVI sailed towards him and attached itself, Tony barely waiting for it to finish assembling around him before leaping from the balcony and shooting off into the night.

Tony's mind raced as he sailed high above the earth towards the place indicated on their sensors, somewhere in the North Pacific Ocean. Was this it, was Bruce finally making an attempt at contact? Over a year of silence broken by the sudden arrival of this drone. Why was Bruce resorting to this? He knew the number for their private server, any phone in the world could have connected him to it. 

And why the middle of the ocean? He felt sick suddenly considering the possibility that the Quinjet had sunk, taking Bruce and the Hulk down with it. He wasn't sure about the logistics of the Hulk and water but the Hulk could easily have torn the jet open and swum away from the wreckage, that much was certain. 

Finally, after the long flight West in which the early morning had turned back into night, the drone's signal appeared on his suit's radar and he dived down to begin his search for it. The water was still and eerily silent as the moonlight shown down from the cloudless night sky. Diving low he was able to fly close to the surface of the water, scanning the area as he searched for the tiny machine. The satellites were able to give an approximate area but nothing definite, he would have to do the searching himself, which he would, for as long as it took.

Then after several hours, there it was, bobbing on the surface in what looked like good condition. Tony scooped it up as delicately as he could, terrified of damaging the device in any way and thankful that it hadn't been pulled under the surface. It appeared to be undamaged and certainly hadn't been at the bottom of the ocean for a year, a sign that made Tony's heart race. 

"FRIDAY, any sign of more wreckage out here?" he asked scanning the vast ocean before him for any other sign of debris.

"Nothing is showing on the satellites sir and we didn't pick anything up in your recent search," the robotic voice responded.

"Well get some more of our recon drones out here, sweep the area thoroughly, if anything else is out here I want it found and retrieved immediately." 

Cradling the drone carefully in one arm he shot up into the night sky and began the journey home. It wasn't much but it was something he had to keep reminding himself. The others would call him crazy for flying all the way out here in the middle of the night on the off chance this stray piece of machinery would offer any clue to the whereabouts of Bruce.

The sun was high in the sky by the time he arrived back at the Avengers facility, landing on the balcony, shedding his armour and making his way inside to his personal quarters.

"FRIDAY, run the 'Do not disturb protocol', I don't want any of the others in here while I deal with this," Tony ordered through a yawn. "And tell Vision that means no floating in through my walls too." 

Now that he was out of the suit he could observe the drone closer, there appeared to be no external clues regarding its sudden appearance or whether it was in fact Bruce who was behind its appearance. 

"Speak to me FRIDAY, how did it get there? Where did it come from?" Tony asked as he made his way over to his workstation flopping down heavily in his chair and placing the drone on the desk.

"There is no data, it simply appeared. As if it was not there one moment and then suddenly appeared out of nowhere the next. The only information I have is that it is transmitting something on Stark frequency."

"Play it," Tony ordered. 

"Working on it now, but the transmission is encrypted."

Tony stretched and got up to make coffee while he waited. He had only been staying at the facility for a week and he was already starting to realise that it was quiet out here, much quieter than the constant buzz of New York or the crashing waves of the Malibu shore line. Tony didn't like it, noise was good, noise helped distract from the deafening silence or the ten thousand thoughts that attempted to cram themselves into his mind at any one moment. At least he still had music to blast while in the lab. 

But if this was it, if this was Bruce's message asking to come home, there would be no more silence, finally he would be reunited with his lab partner and best friend. Bruce would never leave his sight again, and as much as he knew the physicist would protest Tony didn't care.  
Coffee in hand he returned to the workstation, slumping lazily in the chair while sipping the warm drink. It wasn't until he was sipping the dregs of the coffee that the AI's voice finally sounded. 

"The message has been decrypted, play?"

"Yes, goddammit, play the message!" Tony snapped more forcefully than he intended.  
The holo screen in front of Tony lit up revealing, to Tony's relief and elation, Bruce, standing inside the Quinjet. He was wearing one of Tony's old t-shirts, his hair was shorter compared to when they had last seen each other. In every aspect it appeared to be Bruce, just regular Bruce, yet there was something different about the way the man was holding himself. Tony took in as many details as possible before Bruce began to speak hoping that anything could lead to an answer about Bruce's location and wellbeing. 

"Hi Tony," Bruce began softly. "Hopefully you received this message, although there's a more than likely chance that you won't. I did the math and the probable result is the drone being ripped apart inside the wormhole or it taking over a thousand years to reach Earth but hey, stranger things have happened right?" Bruce let out a nervous laugh at this last part, clearly trying to mask his disappointment at this potential outcome.

Tony didn't have time to process everything Bruce was saying properly but it didn't matter, because it was Bruce, _Bruce_! Alive, healthy and trying to contact him.  
"Long story Tony, but as it turns out I'm no longer on earth. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's true. Here, I'll show you." 

On Bruce's order the camera's feed changed to an external view from the Quinjet. Tony's mouth dropped open as he was shown a sprawling, brightly coloured alien city, spaceships buzzing around between the buildings, but before he could take in anymore details the camera returned to Bruce. 

"Pretty crazy right?" Bruce said in his familiar downplayed manner. "It's beautiful, in its own way. At first I was terrified but the longer I spend here the more I realise that not all things should be judged based on what we perceive as normal."

Tony watched as Bruce stood in silence clearly attempting to fight off tears.

"The curious thing is, the people on this planet, they love the Hulk. He's actually somewhat of a celebrity here and there's this Dictator, the Grandmaster, who dotes on his every need and lets him live up in this fancy apartment in the palace and the Hulk is best friends with this fierce warrior woman-" 

Tony's mind raced at all this new information he was barely able to keep up with everything Bruce was saying and was amazed at how animated the man was talking about the whole situation. Stranded on some alien planet sounded like Bruce's worst nightmare but he appeared almost _excited_ talking about it. 

"Sorry, I'm getting off track," Bruce stated, composing himself. "In saying all that there's one problem. I'm sorry but..." Bruce's voice faltered clearly struggling to say what came next. "I don't think I'm finding my way home this time." 

Tony had to fight back tears not only at his own devastation at hearing this but at how genuinely upset Bruce was in saying this.

"The Big Guy, he loves it here and the more I fight him for control and work against him, the harder it becomes to take control back. Tony, I have to fix this, I have to find a way to make Banner and the Hulk whole. We can't keep fighting each other because if we do it could destroy us both and if this is what it takes to make things right, then I think it's a sacrifice I need to make." 

They way Bruce spoke about himself and the Hulk was so matter of fact. It was so typically, _Bruce_. Bruce was always trying to be better, it's what drew Tony to the man, his unrelenting journey to make himself and the world around him better in a constant attempt to make up for the atrocities committed by his other half. So of course if Bruce thought that he could make things better by sacrificing his own life to the Hulk then of course he would. 

"I just want you to know Tony..." Bruce continued. "I didn't choose to run away after Sokovia, the Hulk he... What I mean is I'm sorry if you ever thought I left you." 

Tony couldn't hold back the tears any longer, they streamed down his face as his hand reached out to touch the screen where Bruce stood.

"Thanks for everything Tony, I wish we had more time together. Maybe if the impossible happens more than once I'll see you again and I can return your shirt." Bruce looked down and ran a hand over the logo before looking back up at the camera. "How does it look by the way? I think I pull off this look better than you."

Tony laughed at this. Of course Bruce also found a way to get in a jab at him at a time like this.  
"You always imagine life going a certain way," Bruce mused. "I suppose I never thought I'd turn myself into a giant green rage monster, then go on to join a team of Earth's mightiest warriors defending the world from alien invasions and murder bots." Bruce laughed and shook his head at the idea before falling silent. "But out of everything that has happened, landing on a planet at the other end of the universe and becoming a figurehead for gladiatorial bloodsports is not how I expected my story to end..." 

Bruce sighed heavily and looked up to stare directly at the camera, and Tony became breathless at the sudden eye contact, as if he was looking at Bruce for real and not just the image on a screen.

"I'll miss earth, I'll miss the Avengers... I'll miss you... Thank you for everything you did for me during our time together, sorry I never found a way to repay you. Goodbye Tony, I..."

Tony sat up straight waiting to hear what came after the 'I', but Bruce's voice fell away and his hand reached up to the control panel terminating the message. 

Tony fell back into his chair, staring silently at the screen processing everything he had just witnessed. 

"Play it again," he ordered, "on repeat until I tell you to stop." 

Sitting in silence he lost track of how many times he watched it before slowly falling asleep in the chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is now a side fic that goes in between this Chapter and the next. [Stargazing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14376309) \- A Bruce and Val one shot that doesn't fit the pacing of the main story but was still something I wanted to write. Features flash backs for both of them.
> 
> Originally I hand intended to end the story here but you guys are giving such amazing feed back that I will be continuing into Ragnarok! We're probably going to jump ahead to just before Ragnarok next time in the interest of keeping the action moving rather than focusing on Hulk and Val's daily activities over the two years. I might still write some small one shots for Hulk and Val though, feel free even to leave a comment with a prompt if there is something you would like to see them get up to!  
> Also you can follow me on Tumblr, @Just-Banner where I post about Bruce and the Hulk all the time.


	15. An Enemy from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Here I am to escort you to training and you're not even out of the bath yet," she snapped._
> 
> _"Hulk not need training anymore. Smash everyone, not break a sweat," he called out playfully to the Scrapper, splashing the water to emphasize his point._
> 
> _"And I keep telling you that one day someone stronger might come along, and you'd better be ready for that," the Scrapper warned, moving closer towards him but still safely out of splash range._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all those who may have missed it, there is a side fic that goes in between the last chapter and this one. [Stargazing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14376309) \- A Bruce and Val one shot that doesn't fit the pacing of the main story but was still something I wanted to write. Features flash backs for both of them.

Life on Sakaar couldn't be better for the Hulk. He still retained his title of Champion and had gone undefeated longer than anyone else in the history of the contest, or so the Grandmaster told him. The Hulk was so popular in fact that the Grandmaster had begun construction on a likeness of the Hulk on the palace's exterior, joining several other champions from the contest's history. 

The Hulk had enjoyed being in control for such a long time, not that he selfishly kept control from Banner, the small man was content with the arrangement, however there was the occasional indulgence. Now that they had been working together for so long their minds had become so tightly connected that it no longer felt like they were two separate beings occupying once space but rather one cohesive unit. 

The Hulk had begun collecting trophies off the dead warriors he defeated in the arena, his room was now littered with helmets, shields and weapons of those who had thought themselves strong enough to defeat him in battle. The Hulk was the strongest, and these trophies only served as a reminder of the fact. 

This morning was of course no different to the others, the Hulk soaking in the hot tub without a care in the world. It had been several nights since his last fight in the arena, and even though he had been promised a decent fight against someone simply know as 'Doug', the fight had been over almost as quick as it started. 

The Hulk relaxed against the stone wall of the bath, stretching out and closing his eyes, he had become accustomed to the Champion lifestyle now and found that it suited him perfectly.  
As he reclined, eyes closed and enjoying the water, a disapproving sound was heard from the entrance way. He looked up to see the Scrapper standing with her arms folded, watching him with an unimpressed glare.

"Here I am to escort you to training and you're not even out of the bath yet," she snapped.

"Hulk not need training anymore. Smash everyone, not break a sweat," he called out playfully to the Scrapper, splashing the water to emphasize his point. 

"And I keep telling you that one day someone stronger might come along, and you'd better be ready for that," the Scrapper warned, moving closer towards him but still safely out of splash range.

"Hulk strongest in Universe!" He boasted with a grand gesture before flopping back into the water, causing it to cascade over the edge of the bath. He had always believed himself to be stronger than most but the more he fought in the arena the more he was beginning to believe that he was unbeatable.

"Well if I'm out scavenging in the wastes and I come across someone stronger than you I'm still going to bring them in. Just because we're friends doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you." 

"Hulk beat anyone you find!" 

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before," the Scrapper replied, somewhat exasperated. The Hulk sensed there was something wrong. His friend wasn't the most excitable person but even he could tell when something wasn't right. He watched as she selected a drink from the shelves of bottles and began to down it at her usual pace. 

"Little girl, okay?" The Hulk asked moving to the edge of the bath to look at her more closely. 

Finishing the bottle she placed it back on the shelf and instantly reached for another. "Fine. Even better when you get out of that tub and get ready for training." She began to drink from the second bottle. 

Wanting to do what he could to help his friend's mood improve the Hulk climbed out of the tub and began to prepare for their daily training session. As he pulled on his large sandals he watched her, standing at the window staring distractedly out of it. 

He wanted to help her. "Something wrong," he stated rather than asked. "Tell Hulk.... Please?" 

Looking up at him she was clearly scowling, but it quickly faded when she saw the concern on his face. "I don't know, there's just something not right. I can feel it, just a sense of unrest, like something is wrong in the universe. You probably don't have a clue what I'm talking about."

"Hulk not know. But Hulk want Little Girl to be happy again."

"Sorry Big Guy, I don't think that's going to happen today. Perhaps we should just skip the training." 

"No, Hulk have to get out of bath, Hulk train," he pouted, reaching for one of his over sized hammers.

The Scrapper laughed and the Hulk felt happy that he had managed to cheer her up even if it was just a tiny bit. 

"Okay fine, but one more of these first," she said, pulling another bottle off of the shelf. "I'm going to need it." 

 

The Hulk being fully dressed and the Scrapper's drink finished signaled that they were ready to leave, however the arrival of of the Grandmaster's personal guard told them they were not. 

"Ah good, you're still here. I have exciting news for my Champion," the Grandmaster chimed, brushing his guards out of the way with a delicate hand. 

As the Hulk listened he suddenly became aware that there was something about the Grandmaster, something new. Unable to control a sudden impulse, he dove forward attempting to get as close to the Grandmaster as possible. This sudden outburst clearly caught the Grandmaster and the guards unaware as the scrambled to protect their master.

"Woah, woah, big guy easy there." The Grandmaster protested, pulling himself away from the Hulk's grasping hand. The Hulk easily could have thrown the guards to one side as the held him back with their staffs but it wasn't his intention to hurt them, he just wanted to get closer to the Grandmaster.

The scent radiating off the Grandmaster was unmistakable the Hulk now realised. He had only smelt it once before in his life but it was one he would never forget. He gritted his teeth and let out a low growl as the everyone began to stare at him in confusion and exchange nervous glances. Several of the guards, including Topaz beginning to circle him, their weapons in defense. 

"What's gotten into you?" The Grandmaster questioned petulantly, backing up. "Excuse me, 142," he clicked his fingers, summoning the Scrapper to him. "Can you control your friend please?" 

The Scrapper raced to the Hulk's side, slightly uneasy on her feet and stumbling slightly from the alcohol, as she placed a reassuring hand on his arm before pulling him back. "What's wrong Big Guy?" She asked.

The Hulk didn't look at her, instead keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the Grandmaster. If what he was smelling was true he needed to protect them, the Scrapper and the Grandmaster, _and the people_. Too much information was flooding into his mind, he couldn't speak, only managing to let out growls at the idea of such an enemy returning. 

A sudden realisation dawned on him and he abandoned his attempts to get at the Grandmaster instead bounding across to the window, pushing several guards out of the way as he went. Searching the horizon he examined every wormhole he could see from the window, pacing back and forth along it to get a glimpse of wormholes obscured by the skyline. Behind him he could hear the continued conversation of his visitors.

"As I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted! We have a new honoured guest staying with us," the Grandmaster stated, raising his voice in an attempt to get the Hulk's attention. "I came to tell you that I expect an exceptional performance in the arena during the next fight... Is he even listening to a word I'm saying?" This last part was clearly directed at the Hulk but he was barely listening.

"Sorry Grandmaster, I'm not sure what's wrong with him." The Scrapper interjected. 

"Well 142 you had better find out before the next fight so that I can showcase his best talents. Give the people and our guest a _proper_ show."

The Hulk's attention was now on the streets below, searching for any sign of distress among the people or signs of an invasion. Thankfully everything appeared to be normal without any signs of danger. 

Looking over his shoulder, the Hulk became aware that the Grandmaster was now attempting to leave the apartment. Diving back towards the group the Hulk had to ensure the Grandmaster wasn't heading into danger. This time however, the guards were ready holding up their spears to block the Hulk's path towards the Grandmaster, who was once again shocked by this uncharacteristic display. 

The Grandmaster turned to the Scrapper. "I thought I asked you to keep this guy in line, or can I not trust you with that?" The Grandmaster queried, throwing his arms up in the air. “And what’s wrong with you 142? He added. “Stumbling around, sort yourself out.”

“Drunk trash,” Topaz stated under her breath.

"We're fine Grandmaster, I promise!" The Scrapper assured him, throwing a hate filled glare at Topaz before moving to the Hulk's side and grabbing his hand to pull him back.

"Good. Come see me in private once you managed to settle our big green friend here. I have more business with you 142."

Without another word the Grandmaster and escort left, leaving the two friends alone.

The Hulk's breathing was shallow as he watched the Grandmaster retreat down the corridor, he hadn't known how to warn him. 

"What's wrong with you?" the Scrapper demanded once they were alone. "I know I'm having a bad day but now you too?" 

"Hulk smell.... Puny God," He managed. Turning to look at his friend, trying his best to convey concern.

"What?" She asked, confused. 

"Puny god, Hulk tell Little Girl story about time he fought."

The Scrapper shook her head like she had no clue what he was talking about. Then after a moment's thought it dawned on her. "You said you _defeated_ that puny god."

"Other little god take him away as prisoner," the Hulk explained. "Hulk wanted to rip off head but man with shield not allow. 

"Look no offense" the Scrapper stated raising her hand to cut him off. "But if you defeated this _god_ once before than the Grandmaster is more than capable of looking after himself." She walked over to the window to inspect the city just as the Hulk had been doing. 

"Plus Sakaar is the Grandmaster's home, he wouldn't let anyone threaten it."

"Smash god if he come anywhere near Angry Girl or people," the Hulk threatened. 

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself thank you, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now let's get you in the practice arena. Perhaps destroying some stuff will calm both our nerves."

 

The Hulk tried his best to focus on the sparring but he found himself too distracted. The battle of Manhattan had been one of his first chances to let loose and show everyone what he was capable of. He had been given one order, _smash_. The puny god had tried to intimidate him so naturally the result of tossing the tiny man around like a rag doll had been so satisfying, but even the Hulk understood all the destruction that had been caused, and the onslaught of aliens was even to much for the Hulk to face alone. If something like that were to happen on Sakaar he wouldn't be able to stop it. 

Shocked at the sudden pain of the Scrapper's fist hitting his face the Hulk stumbled backwards. 

"If you're not going to pay attention then why are we here? The Scrapper demanded. 

"Hulk sorry," he attempted in his best Hulk whisper. "Hulk can't stop thinking about puny god." 

The Scrapper made a frustrated sound, placing her hands on her hips. "Look, I told you, the Grandmaster will be fine."

"Hulk not worried about Grandmaster," he admitted. "Hulk worried for people." He gestured broadly to indicate the city surrounding them outside the stadium and looked up into the sky. There weren't any wormholes above the city itself but he knew there were plenty surrounding it. 

A wormhole, that's how the puny god had summoned the army last time. They had descended upon the earth city and destroyed half of it. The people living there were defenceless apart from the Hulk and his friends. If he had not been there to protect them, they would have all been destroyed. He would not let Sakaar suffer the same fate.

"Okay," the Scrapper responded. "The Grandmaster asked me to go see him. If I promise to investigate this god while I'm there and see if there is anything suspicious going on, will you please calm down?" 

The Hulk thought about his, the puny god wouldn't recognise her like he would the Hulk and she was strong enough to defend herself if the god tried anything. 

He nodded in agreement. "Angry Girl go. Hulk stay."

"Okay, you stay here and keep out of trouble without me. I'll be back when I know more." Then without another word she waved goodbye and left him standing alone in the arena.

The Hulk exhaled heavily. He was almost excited that the puny god was here. Things were beginning to become boring and maybe the arrival of the god would liven things up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, just wanted to warn people about Infinity War spoilers in the comments, I can't promise there won't be any so be cautious if you haven't seen it yet.   
> Also in saying that I can now say with certainty that this fic will continue through Ragnarok and into Infinity War! I have even started writing some of the IW content while it is fresh in my mind. I don't play to rush through Ragnarok to get to it though, I want to give this fic all the time it needs.   
> Thank you once again for reading! - Get ready for the next chapter, its Valkyrie POV!


	16. Asgardian Animosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Loki, protector of Asgard and the nine realms."_
> 
> _"Titles like that mean nothing on Sakaar. You're just trash like the rest of us." She attempted to step around him but stopped as he spoke._
> 
> _"I wasn't expecting to see another Asgardian this far from home," he said, a knowing grin appearing on his face._
> 
> _"What do you want? To grab a drink together and reminisce about the homeland, give me a break."_

Brunnhilde made her way from the arena towards the Palace. The guards didn't stop her anymore, they had learnt the hard way not to question her presence in the palace and simply let her walk about freely. 

The look on her face must have been a pretty obvious signal to her mood because several of the guards went out of the way to clear a path for her as she strode through the entrance to the palace.

The events of the past few days were already troubling her. First there was this unrelenting dread within her that she just couldn't shake and now the appearance of this 'god'. And not just any god, one that the Hulk had met, and defeated in the past. Even she had to admit, this felt too connected to be a coincidence. 

The Hulk was from a distant planet on the other side of the universe where he had once fought this 'god' who was from _another_ planet and now apparently was here on Sakaar. Sakaar worked like a magnet for 'lost things' but even this didn't feel like a sound reason for the sudden appearance of the Hulk's old foe. Combined all that with her feeling of dread that had plagued her the past several days and it was clear that something was not right, and somehow the Hulk and her were being dragged into it. 

The alcohol from the Hulk's apartment had truly worn off now, stupid Asgardian metabolism, and she would need to find something else to drink soon. Hopefully whatever it was the Grandmaster required from her wouldn't take too long. 

The Grandmaster was up on the entertainment level hosting his usual entourage of followers as the gorge themselves on food and booze. Loud music of the Grandmaster's own composition greeted her as the elevator door opened, the floor bustled with activity as Sakaar's elite partied.   
Making her way past the other guests and the various musical machines she heard the Grandmaster calling to her from behind.

"Ah, 142!" He greeted her cheerfully. "I trust all is well with our big friend?" 

"Fine, Grandmaster." 

"Now that you're here, I have a special task for you." He began. "See that man over there?" He indicated a man across the room who appeared to have the attention of a small crowd who where listening intently to everything he was telling them. 

The man had long dark hair, slight build and strong overly confident demeanor. _Was this him?_ Was this really the god that the Hulk was so worried about. He looked like she could snap him in half without breaking a sweat, not some all powerful being who had threatened the very existence of the Hulk's planet. 

"As I mentioned before," the Grandmaster continued. "I want a special fight for my new, friend, so I need you to go out into the wastes and find me a proper contender. One that will last a decent amount of time. Not like all these weaklings we've been throwing in there lately."

"You want someone who can beat the Hulk?" She asked raising her eyebrow. 

"What! No, of course not. I love my Hulk," the Grandmaster stated affectionately. "No, not someone who can _beat_ him, just someone who looks like they can beat him."

"That shouldn't be too hard, it might take a while but-" 

"Uh no, I want them in time for the next contest," The Grandmaster stated as if it was obvious.

"What?" She replied. "Grandmaster, that's only two days away, I can't be certain I'll find-"

"Come now 142," The Grandmaster began softening. "You're the best person I have for a job like this. You'll find me something. I have faith in you." 

She disliked how charming the man could be when he really tried. "Fine, I'll see what I can do." She remained in front of him, beginning to formulate a strategy as to where she should begin the search. 

It wasn't going to be easy, finding a contender of near Hulk quality on such short notice, not to mention fending off the other Scrappers that would try and fight her for such a prize. Perhaps a trip out into the further wastes would be worth the risk, even if she only managed to find some powerful tech to stick into the hands of a weaker fighter. 

"Excuse me," The Grandmaster cut in, interrupting her chain of thought. "I mean straight away... As in why are you still standing here? Go!" He gestured for her to leave. How quickly he had turned from soft to demanding. 

Nodding she turned to leave, catching sight of the mysterious man across the room as she did. The sudden news that she would be heading out into the wastes had momentarily distracted her from the task at hand. She slowed her pace so she could watch the man as he continued his storytelling, complete with dramatic flourishes. He was captivating everyone around him with whatever story he was regaling them with and now the Grandmaster was sweeping across the room towards him. 

She stepped behind one of the Grandmaster's music machines so she could watch the interaction between the two men without their knowledge.

Taking a seat next to the man, the Grandmaster's hand slipped effortlessly to the man's thigh.   
" _Oh_ ," she thought. So it's like that. Although when it came to the Grandmaster she supposed it wasn't that much of a surprise. She couldn't decide if this level of interaction between the men was a good thing or not. It was surely superficial but it did mean the this supposed god had access to the more secure and important parts of the Palace. 

As she watched she realised that there was something about this ‘god’, something almost familiar in his mannerisms and the way he spoke. Then it hit her. Was it possible? Was he _Asgardian_? If that was the case then the Hulk must have come from a more primitive planet than she originally thought if he considered Asgardians to be gods.

What would an Asgardian be doing here on Sakaar? Well, apart from her obviously. The Hulk had mentioned that this man had been taken prisoner after their fight. She knew from experience that Sakaar was the perfect place for someone on the run who didn't want to be found but once again the coincidence of it all was unnerving. Of all the places to come and hide, it's the same place as a fellow on-the-run Asgardian and one of your old enemies who captured you in the first place.

She knew one thing for sure now, she didn't want to be sharing Sakaar with the likes of him. There could be too many questions if he happened to discover who she was and what if he _knew_ her already from her previous life. She didn't recognise him but it's not like she was paying much attention to men around Asgard at the time, too much Valkyrior training and responsibility, plus _other_ things. 

_No, Stop!_ She told herself. Too much thinking about Asgard! She hadn't thought this much about it in a long time and this man was suddenly bringing it all back. She had to leave, had to find a drink. Drinking would dull the memories and keep them away. 

Peeking back out from her hiding place she focused back on the two men once again. There appeared to be zero hostility or any sign of ill intent on the god's side. If the Hulk hadn't raised concern about the man she never would have stopped to spare him a thought. As she watched while the god finished his story, causing the audience around him to burst into laughter, without any warning or indication that he was aware of her presence, he looked up and met her gaze. There it was, that sense of dread she had been feeling, radiating out of his eyes, as they stared at each other. Something coursed between them, an energy she was unable to describe, like a beacon lighting up. 

Breaking eye contact, the Scrapper ducked back into hiding place. No, whatever that was wasn't good. Attention from this god wasn't what she wanted right now, especially because she had obviously been spying on him. Time to get out of here, time for a _drink_.

She headed for the door, dodging past several of the Grandmaster's guests in her rush to get out of the room as quickly as possible. As she ducked past the last guest between herself and the door she suddenly found the path blocked by the dark haired man, he was standing directly in the way of the door, staring at her with an intrigued expression. 

"It's not polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," he stated.

Astonished at his sudden appearance she looked back over towards the couch. He was still there, sitting beside then Grandmaster being fawned over. So he did have some level of power after all. 

"Nice party trick," she stated flatly, looking back to him. She would not let him read anything off of her, not like when he had first looked at her.

Ignoring her insult he smiled politely. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Loki, protector of Asgard and the nine realms."

Brunnhilde kept a straight face. So he was Asgardian after all, but there was no way this man looked like a warrior of Asgard. She simply shrugged. "Titles like that mean nothing on Sakaar. You're just trash like the rest of us." She attempted to step around him but stopped as he spoke.

"I wasn't expecting to see another Asgardian this far from home," he said, a knowing grin appearing on his face.

"What do you want? To grab a drink together and reminisce about the homeland, give me a break."

"Fine, you're not the nostalgic type. But we're both Asgardians, that must count for something!"

"I can assure you, it doesn't. Not on Sakaar." She was really starting to become irritated now. "What do you even want?"

"Well," Loki begun, lowering his voice to a soft whisper. "It appears to me that a place like Sakaar is perfect for someone with _ambition_. The Grandmaster may hold all the power here but he is, you could say, only one small accident away from losing that power."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, this guy had only been here for days at most and already he was planning a hostile takeover of the entire planet. Okay, perhaps he was Asgardian after all. 

"Look," she began cutting him off. "Even if I was interested or you were even capable of matching the Grandmaster's power, his Champion would smear you across the wall before you even knew what happened." 

"Ah yes, the Champion," he replied with a sense of mischief in his voice. "I hear the Grandmaster has quite an impressive Champion, a warrior so strong he is undefeated in the Contest of Champions."

"And what do you care about that?" She asked, a bit too defensively. She kicked herself for even mentioning the Hulk. The last thing she needed was to bring attention to the Hulk, especially since these the two were seemingly old enemies. 

"Well, the Grandmaster won't tell me anything about him, instead he wants to keep it a surprise for when I see them fighting in the area. Perhaps you could spoil that surprise for me?  
"Can't help you," she stated without sparing him another glance. This time she was definitely leaving. 

"Perhaps I'll just have to uncover his identity for myself then. "As you can see," he gestured towards his double. "I have several tricks of my own."

"Good luck with that. Bye, _Lerky_ ," she called over her shoulder as he headed out of the room.

"It's _Loki_!" She heard him call after her. 

 

Running as fast as she could Brunnhilde returned to the Hulk's apartment but he was not back from training yet. 

In a rush, she made to exit the room but stopped halfway, turning to look back at the large collection of bottles. Unable to control the herself she crossed the room to them, uncorking several and downing them one after another, hoping they would help to keep this bad day at bay. 

Luckily she had taken precautions in case she needed to cover the Hulk’s disappearance. Accessing a control panel on the wall she set the door’s force field to ‘do not disturb’, causing it to glow an angry red. She had convinced the guards that the Hulk was prone to tantrums (which wasn’t a total lie), so he would need time alone in which he was not to be disturbed unless the person wanted to lose a limb. 

Now, running with the occasional misplaced step, she made her way down to the arena where as she had expected, the Hulk was still training. 

"Big Guy!" she called from the edge of the arena. She signaled to the guards that they were dismissed from the posts. This next part was not going to be fun.

"Angry Girl back soon!" The Hulk exclaimed cheerfully, dropping his hammer and bounding over to her. "Find god?"

"No time for that now, I need the other guy."

The Hulk eyed her suspiciously. "Angry Girl not need Banner. Angry Girl have Hulk." 

"I am not in the mood for this conversation," She stated through gritted teeth. "Banner, now!" 

"Banner no help against god, need Hulk!" 

"The god Loki is suspicious about your identity, if he discovers you he will have the upper hand. Banner is smaller and easier to hide. That is why I need you to change, _now_."

"Hulk not hide from god, Hulk smash him!"

"Listen to me," she growled fiercely, pulling his face down so they were looking at each other face to face. She softened her voice to speak. "We could be in danger, _you_ could be in danger. Now I know you want to smash and trust me, there is nothing I want more than to let you do that but right now I need some answers. Answers I think only Bruce can give me and I _promise_ once he gives them to me I will make sure you are here to give this god what is coming to him."

The Hulk stared back at her, oddly still and looking deep into her eyes through the silence. "Promise?" the Hulk asked. 

She nodded, not breaking eye contact. 

The Hulk exhaled, stepping back from her. "Hulk trust Angry Girl."

He started to twitch all over and suddenly he was grabbing at his head, growling in pain. She winced as she watched her friend stumble around in what looked like pain. Regardless of his willingness to transform it looked no easier than a forced transformation. She had seen the transformation several times now but found it no easier to watch. Then suddenly the Hulk began to shrink, his green skin returning to the pinker flesh tones of Banner. 

Bruce lay crumpled in a heap on the dusty floor of the arena, breathing heavily with the occasional gasp for more air. 

"Bruce?" Brunnhilde asked stepping towards him closely. 

He rolled over onto his back and sat up, holding his head and groaning. Cautiously she reached out her hand to touch him. Her fingertips brushed his forearm causing him to flinch back, in shock. 

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, "it's just me. Here." She pushed the tshirt into his arms, watching as he pulled it close to his chest before looking up. 

"Oh, hey," he managed in a hoarse voice. "Sorry, I just, I get the feeling it's been a while."  
She nodded. "Yeah, sorry about. We've been overdue." 

"No, it's fine," he assured her pulling the shirt over his head. The Big Guy and I made that arrangement." He looked around at the empty arena. "You made me transform out here in the open? What if someone saw?" He asked suddenly very anxious. 

"It's fine," she assured him, taking him by the elbow and leading him to the entrance tunnel. "I dismissed the guards and no one else is allowed in during the Champion's training session. 

"Why such a rushed transformation? Why couldn't you wait until we were back in the apartment?" He asked, standing up and holding the Hulk’s oversized skirt up as it billowed around him.

"We may have a... situation." She stated, stopping once they were in the cover of the tunnel. 

"What do you know about an Asgardian named Loki?"

Bruce turned to her, eyes wide and beginning to shake his head. "No, not Loki, not here."

"The Hulk told me about the time you fought but the details were, lacking, to say the least."

"Yeah, we fought him, a long time ago. What's he doing on Sakaar?" 

"Currently? Drinking and partying with the Grandmaster, among other things." 

"This isn't good," Bruce begun, leaning against the wall of the tunnel. "Loki's an agent of chaos he wouldn't be here unless he has a plan and if he doesn't have one he soon will. The guy is bad news." 

"The Hulk knows he is here, it has him on edge." She continued on to explain the task the Grandmaster had given her and everything that had happened during the day, including the sense of dread she had been feeling.

"Okay, first things first," Bruce stated once he was caught up. "We have to find a contender for the Hulk to fight in the arena."

"What why-" She asked, confused why this was the matter he found most pressing. 

"Because the last thing we need is the Grandmaster angry with us as well as Loki on our back. I know Loki, he'll play with his cards against his chest. Even if he knows the Hulk is here he won't let it interrupt his overall plan. Then once we've bought ourselves time with the Grandmaster we can regroup, find out exactly what Loki is doing here and what he wants."

"Makes sense," she agreed, nodding. 

"You were right to make me transform. We can't risk the Hulk acting out on his own about this. But for now let’s worry about finding this contender." He adjusted the skirt he was still trying to hold up. 

They set out together towards the gladiator catacombs to find him something else to wear but she stumbled slightly as they walked, her head still affected by the drinks form the apartment. 

Cursing herself for letting it show in front of Bruce she began to pick herself up off the ground. As she did, she saw Bruce look at her, a startled look on his face at first. She braced for what she assumed would be a string of questioning or some silent judgement but it didn't come. Instead, almost instinctively, he ducked under her arm and hoisted her to her feet supporting some of her weight, then together without a word they headed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to know what people think of the Valkyrie POV. Would you like more in the future?


	17. A Friend from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"This is perfect," Bruce stated, beaming at Thor. "You couldn't have arrived at a better time!" It was so simple now. Thor could help them buy some time with the Grandmaster and solve their Loki problem, then together they could escape off Sakaar, perhaps even go home._
> 
> _"Banner, I don't know how it is you got here or what you're planning but I promise you we have a much bigger problem-"_
> 
> _"As much as I appreciate this sentimental catch up," Brunnhilde interrupted, stepping in between them, "we are on a strict time limit."_

Bruce's mind was buzzing as he and the Scrapper made their way to the hangar that stored her ship. His senses felt overwhelmed as his neurons were firing so much faster than normal. His time as the Hulk was becoming longer and longer and this was clearly the side effect of not being his normal, human self. Feeling his friend so close as he helped her walk was reassuring and helped him to stay in the moment.

The world felt new, like he had never taken time to look at things properly before, everything felt clear and raced through his mind quicker than he could focus on it. Had he really never taken time to stop and look at the world, he had almost forgotten, he had been living under such a haze of fear for so many years now. 

Strapping himself into the passenger seat, Bruce watched curiously as Brunnhilde fired up the engines. He had never been given the opportunity to fly the Quinjet during his time with the Avengers, Clint or Tony always taking the controls. Not that Bruce had minded, they were the accomplished pilots, he would never have been as good at it as them. He watched with interest as she hit various buttons and toggles as they lifted off into the air. Although it was an alien ship he could still guess at some of the similar controls. 

He looked up at her and saw that she had caught him watching.

"You wanna fly it?" she queried, offering the controls.

"Oh no, I never flew the Quinjet, let alone a spaceship," he responded letting the old doubt surface. 

"It's easy, here." She pushed the steering controls across to him before he could protest.  
Panicking, he seized them and attempted to keep the ship flying straight which only caused it to veer off the already steady course she had them on. Brunnhilde simply laughed as she watched him struggle to level out, the ship swaying from side to side. There was so much information he was already trying to process in his post-hulk state, now he had this unexpected situation thrust upon him.

"Just relax," she yelled over his panicked sounds as they were thrown around beneath their seatbelts. Bruce tried to calm his breath, to focus on just being steady and not let the fact that he was flying an alien spaceship overwhelm him. After several more deep breaths, he managed to get it under control, focusing hard on the landscape before them. 

"There!" she stated happily, “you got it.”

"Yeah, I'm actually doing it, this isn't so bad," he exclaimed happily. "Wait until I tell Tony I-" Bruce stopped as soon as he realised what he had said. "Here," Bruce mumbled gesturing to the controls, "you should probably take over."

"Nope, you're flying now. Because if you're flying it means more drinks for me." She was already reaching into a compartment and withdrawing a bottle. Bruce gripped the controls harder, attempting to push the bad thoughts away and focus on the here and now.

"Shouldn't we be alert for any possible signs of life?" He asked, watching as she put her feet up on the console.

"That scanner there is tracking heat signatures. If anything living falls through a wormhole we'll be the first to know." She began to drink deeply from the bottle. 

Bruce nodded, still focusing on the task of flying the ship. He began experimenting with the controls, weaving them in and out around towering junk piles. He didn't understand why Clint and Tony had always been so protective of being the ones to fly the Quinjet. This was easy, fun even. He relaxed somewhat, trying his best to push the thoughts of Tony down and instead focus on this moment, he was flying a spaceship, an actual alien spaceship.

Kicking back now that she was devoid of responsibility the Scrapper downed the rest of her drink in one long gulp. "Thanks by the way," she stated not looking up at him. 

"For what?" 

She held up a bottle in front of her face. "Earlier in the tunnel when I stumbled. You could have said something, but you didn't." 

Bruce's expression fell. "We all have our own ways of coping. Someone I care about used to do the same, but with what he'd been through, I could understand." 

_Great_ , he thought, _another reminder of home_. Something about today just seemed to be determined to drag up old memories.

The Scrapper simply nodded. 

"But don't think that once this is all over, we're not going to talk about it." Bruce added with a playful yet stern tone in his voice.

Brunnhilde exhaled, "I doubt that. Now pull up over there, I'll teach you how to land and we can sit and wait." 

Bruce was willing to let the change of subject go, he would find a better opportunity to find out more about his friend's past, when she was willing to share. Plus it meant he was spared having to explain any details about his previous experience, not that she ever asked him about his past anyway.

Under her instructions Bruce managed to land the ship on an outcrop that hadn't quite been taken over by junk yet. Then the two began the most boring part of their mission, waiting. There was no telling how long it would take for someone, or something, to show up that the Hulk would be able to fight in the arena. All that the two friends could do now was find a way to pass the time.

Bruce found that he was just happy to be out of the Palace, stretching his legs and not having to worry about whatever Loki was planning. Loki had always had some weird obsession with the Hulk and he assumed that this encounter would be no different. Favouring chaos over all else the god clearly understood that there was no better way of causing it than the Hulk being unleashed. Bruce at least felt comfort in the fact that the Hulk was not afraid of Loki and that chaos was the last thing the Hulk was interested in causing on Sakaar. Loki was definitely in for a shock when it came to the new and improved Hulk.

As the hours passed Bruce kept himself entertained by digging through the large piles of junk, searching for gadgets and tech buried within the piles. Brunnhilde watched nearby, Bruce occasionally showing her something that he recognised from earth and explaining all about it to her. He could see the growing interest within her as he explained more and more about his home planet. 

By the time it began to grow dark there had still been no sign of anything entering through a wormhole and the two friends were spread out on the roof of the Scrapper's ship, eating what food she had managed to bundle up in their haste to leave. 

Eventually, Bruce crawled back inside the cockpit and fell asleep spread out across the two chairs, it wasn't the most uncomfortable place he had slept before, but it was certainly up there. He slept soundly knowing that his friend was so close by her watchful eye keeping him safe. 

 

***

 

Bruce woke to the loud buzzing from the ship's console. Bleary eyed he tried to make out what it was telling him but being only half awake he was having trouble now. 

The Scrapper was by his side now, pulling herself into the pilot seat. "Buckle up," she ordered. "We've found something." 

Bruce scrambled back into his seat and wasting no time they set out towards where the scanner indicated on the screen. Bruce noticed her steering was uncoordinated and reckless, she had clearly been hitting the bottle hard while he was sleeping. 

"Damn," she yelled, looking ahead of them. 

"What is it?"

"Over there, another gang of scrappers have reached it first." 

Bruce could see another ship on the ground nearby close to where the scanner was indicating life. 

"What are you going to do?" He asked nervously. 

"Take what's mine."

She dove them in fast, the ship crashing into a pile of junk and skidding to a halt. Bruce had to cling to his seat to stop from being thrown around. The front of the ship opened up and she made her way out, bottle in hand, barely sparing a thought for the threatening gang in front of her. 

Before she even finished introducing herself Bruce flinched as she fell from the catwalk of the ship, landing with a thud in a heap below. Bruce started to get up to go and help but she was already up and on her feet, stumbling towards the gang. It wasn't the most glamorous entrance Bruce had ever seen, but he supposed it was memorable in its own way. 

As Brunnhilde stumbled towards the gang she remained fearless and intimidating, regardless of the fall. The scrapper gang were arguing with her, refusing to give up their catch. Suddenly, the guns of the ship burst into life as Brunnhilde mercilessly gunned down the entire gang. Bruce shielded himself from the sight and the loud noise of the barrage. Once the guns had stopped, he looked down to see her advancing towards the prisoner. 

Scrambling down after her Bruce couldn't help but feeling impressed by her ferocity. "Wow, you just destroyed them, like they were nothing," he exclaimed. Bruce stared wide eyed down at the place where the scrapper gang had just been standing, the tattered remains of their clothes littering the floor.

A grunt from the person tangled in the scrapper net made Bruce focus on the figure they had been attacking, crumpled in a heap and starting to rouse. 

As the person attempted to pull the net off Bruce saw for the first time who it was the scrappers had attacked. He could hardly believe it, of all the planets in the universe... It had to be a trick, his overactive mind playing tricks on him. Was it really?

"THOR," Bruce yelled, pushing past Brunnhilde in his desperation to reach his friend. He had to feel Thor, touch him, make sure he was real, that he was no longer alone and isolated from everything he had ever known.  
Just as Thor managed to pull the net off of himself Bruce dove at him, forgetting everything but the presence of his friend, wrapping his arms around Thor's middle. 

"Wha - what is happening?" Thor asked as Bruce clung to his muscled friend.

"Thor, buddy, I can't believe you’re here, I thought I would never see you again!" Bruce pulled back from his friend, looking up to meet his gaze. He could have almost cried with happiness at the sight of him. Finally, a familiar face.

"Banner?" Thor began at first before realising exactly what was happening. "Banner! What are you doing here? We all thought you were dead!" Bruce felt Thor return the tight embrace, his large muscular arms seizing him and squeezing all the air out of him. Bruce didn't care however, he was simply overwhelmed to have his friend at his side. 

"No, I'm not dead, it's a long story. But first please," Bruce became serious for a moment. "What happened to the others? Tony, Nat, Sokovia and the fight with Ultron. Is everyone okay, did we beat that insane robot?"

"Ultron, Sokovia?" Thor questioned, almost lost. "Of course, everything is fine the battle was won." 

"Thank god, I've been so worried." Bruce felt a wave of relief wash over him, knowing that Tony and the others were safe on Earth after all and he hadn't been the only one to survive. 

"Bruce..." Thor began, interrupting Bruce's excitement. "Sokovia, Ultron... that was two years ago. How long have you been out here?” Thor looked up to survey the area, clearly unaware of exactly where they were. 

"Two years...?" Bruce stumbled backwards at hearing this. He turned to the Scrapper who was standing by, watching with her arms folded. "I've been here for _two years_ already?"

The Scrapper simply shrugged in response. 

"I've been the Hulk nearly the entire time..." Bruce's mind was racing again as he broke away from Thor. He had known that he had been on Sakaar for a while, but he had not realised that it had been two years already. With the amount of time he had spent as himself compared to the Hulk he had assumed months but not _two years_. The two had been so tightly connected he hadn't even stopped to think about exactly how much time had passed. He smiled to himself, two years without any pain, without any _guilt_. They had done it, they had found a way to be _happy_. 

"Banner, this is perfect, I need your help- Oww!" Thor was interrupted by Brunnhilde throwing something that latched itself into his neck. 

Bruce was hit with a revelation, of course in retrospect he had missed his friends on Earth, but he had proved to himself that he could do it, he could be happy. Even if it meant being at the other end of the Universe competing as a gladiator for an eccentric dictator, it was possible for himself and the Hulk to be happy. 

With a renewed sense of purpose he turned back to Thor who was prodding at the object in his neck. 

"This is perfect," Bruce stated, beaming at Thor. "You couldn't have arrived at a better time!" It was so simple now. Thor could help them buy some time with the Grandmaster and solve their Loki problem, then together they could escape off Sakaar, perhaps even go home. 

"Banner, I don't know how it is you got here or what you're planning but I promise you we have a much bigger problem-"

"As much as I appreciate this sentimental catch up," Brunnhilde interrupted, stepping in between them, "we are on a strict time limit." 

"I'm sorry, would you mind explaining for a second who it is you actually are-" Thor asked, beginning to advance on the Scrapper, but didn't get a chance to say anything more because he was on the ground convulsing as the shock waves from the obedience disk ran through him. Brunhilde stared down, unamused with the obedience disk fob in hand.

“Hey!” Bruce called out, moving to Thor’s side on the ground. “You didn’t have to knock him out, we’re all on the same side.”

“Sorry,” she said with a shrug. “Force of habit.”

"Sorry," Bruce offered to the now limp Thor. “I’ll explain everything when you wake up.”

"We don’t have time for this Bruce," She said, grabbing Thor's cape and beginning to drag him towards the ship. “The Hulk’s fight is only hours away, I need to deliver this guy to the Grandmaster and you need to get back to your room.”

"Yeah, I know," Bruce stated simply. He knew how tough Thor was and it would take a lot more than this to bring the God of Thunder down. 

"I think it would be a good idea," Brunnhilde stated, “If the Big Guy doesn’t know your friend is here." 

Bruce considered this. He wasn’t sure how the Hulk would take the sudden appearance of one of the Avengers. But he knew one thing, he didn’t trust the Hulk’s ability to feign surprise in front of the Grandmaster. 

"They won't hurt him will they?" Bruce asked as he watched her throw Thor effortlessly into the ship. 

She shrugged. "Not if he's well behaved." 

Bruce’s worry began to start nagging at him. “Perhaps we’re approaching this all wrong,” he wondered. “Thor is a powerful ally, we can use him to help.”

Brunnhilde turned to him, an eyebrow raised. “If the Hulk does not show up to fight in the arena tonight, I can assure you that no amount of powerful allies will be able to save us from the Grandmaster. He will tear this place apart to find the Hulk.”

Bruce sighed, he knew she right. The Grandmaster was too powerful for a front on assault against Loki, if they were indeed allies like Brunnhilde had informed him. Sparing one last sympathetic glance at Thor, Bruce climbed inside the ship. 

As they flew closer to the city, Thor began to stir. Pulling himself off the glass, Thor rolled over to stare up at Bruce and the Scrapper. 

"Banner, what-?" Thor mumbled, still waking up. 

"Don't worry!" Bruce called over the sound of the ship's engine. "Everything's fine, I've got the situation under control."

"Banner! You can't do this to me!" Thor yelled back, becoming agitated he thumped his fist heavily on the glass, causing it to crack. "I am Thor, son of Odin, I must get back to Asgard-"

"Apologies your majesty." The Scrapper cut in. Bruce realised too late her plan, diving across to try and stop her, but she activated Thor's obedience disk and once again Thor was convulsing as the electrical charge surged through his body. 

Bruce gave her a disapproving glance. 

“He was breaking my ship!” She protested defensively. 

Bruce sat back in his chair in silence, staring down at Thor. How had things become this complicated in such a short time? He had a feeling they were about to get much worse as well. The Grandmaster would not make his escape from this planet easy. Bruce smiled though, at the sight of Thor below him. The appearance of Thor changed everything, Thor would be able to help him get home, but what was Thor doing here, at the other end of the universe? Had he been looking for Bruce? Looking down at his friend, a realisation dawned on him and he began to chuckle to himself.

"Something funny?" Brunnhilde asked, side eyeing him.

Bruce looked at her, unable to hide his smile. "The entire time I've known you, that was the first time you've slipped up."

"What?" She asked, taken aback.

"You just called him, _your majesty_." 

"So?" she shot back, becoming flustered.

"So, I find it hard to believe that a scrapper living at the other end of the universe would know that someone calling themself the son of Odin was a prince and therefore royalty." 

She looked across at him, stunned, mouth hanging open.

"Don't worry," he whispered playfully, "I won't tell anyone."

She fixed her gaze ahead of them, clearly not wanting to look him. After a short silence she spoke. "When we first met, you and me, not the Big Guy, the first thing you asked me was if we were on Asgard. I always wondered, how did you know?" 

"That you're Asgardian?" Bruce shrugged. "A lucky guess I suppose. But..."

"But what?"

Bruce looked between her and Thor. "You two do dress alike."

The Scrapper jarred the controls of the ship, causing them to turn upside down, Bruce letting out a shout of fear as they hung upside down in their seats much to her amusement. Laughing as he attempted to grab at his seat for security.

As they leveled out, heading back towards the city and recovering from his bout of laughter, Bruce became lost in thought, the thought that he might actually be going home. The entire time he had been here he had assumed that returning home would be impossible, that he would spend the rest of his life on this planet, living as the Hulk. But he was ready, ready to go home, his time spent here as the Hulk had proved something to himself that he never thought possible, he could be _happy_.

The Hulk would no longer prohibit him from being who he really was, would no longer be an excuse to hide away from all the things he felt incapable of having. They could go back, they could live, _together_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again to everyone who has taken time to read (and comment)!


	18. Applause

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Overhead green smoke erupted in giant clouds over the audience, signalling the start of the fight._
> 
> __"Hulk, Hulk, Hulk!"_ The crowd cheered._

The Hulk woke in his apartment, just like the Scrapper had promised. Banner was sitting the back of his mind, quiet but with a buzz of nervous energy. The Scrapper was nowhere to be seen. 

It wasn't long before the usual procession of servants arrived to adorn him with his body paint and armor for his fight. The Hulk was used to having the servants in his room now and he no longer needed the Scrapper around to calm his nerves. 

When it came time to leave a procession of guards arrived to escort him down to the arena. He was used to this now too, allowing himself to be surrounded by armed guards, something he would never have allowed on earth. Everything would have been normal if not for the nervousness of Banner in his mind. The two had been so used to acting as one that this recent transformation was beginning to make him realise there may be lingering effects. But the Hulk had won so many Champion fights now that even with the nervousness of Banner he felt confident in their victory. 

He followed the usual procedures before the fight, waiting for the crowd warming fights to be over before it would be his turn to fight. Sometimes the Scrapper came down to wish him luck before his fights, but today she did not come. Hopefully she would appear to celebrate his victory after the fight. 

 

Standing alone in the entrance tunnel, the Hulk could hear the roar of the crowd above and the booming sound of the Grandmaster's voice as he announced the Hulk's contender. The crowd began booing at this, as they often did when the Hulk's contender was announced. It filled him with confidence to hear the crowd on his side, scorning his enemy. What happiness they would get out of seeing the Hulk crush the skull of his enemy. 

He was ready to put on a show for them, to make them cheer and once again call him Champion. The floor began to shake and raise up towards the steel entry door. As the corridor locked into place the doors to the arena began to slide open, the Grandmaster's voice echoing loudly around the arena and into the corridor. 

Without waiting for the doors to finish opening he launched himself at them in a show of dominance. They tore open effortlessly as he pushed through, brandishing his weapons and roaring as loud as possible in the most intimidating way possible. The crowd erupted with applause as they always did at his entry. Entrances like this were often enough to secure an early victory, his opponent being too terrified to even move once they saw him face to face. 

This however was not the case this time, as his entrance was interrupted by the joyful cheer from the other side of the arena. The audience fell silent as the Hulk's opponent celebrated rather than cowered in fear as his opponents usually did. The Hulk wouldn't let this person draw the focus away from him, he began to bellow his name towards the audience, lifting his arms triumphantly to remind them all of his strength. The audience wasted no time cheering back and echoing the calls of his name in their usual fashion. 

As the audience cheered, waved banners and even handmade hulk faces he couldn't help but swell with excitement. This was his favorite thing, the Sakaarians cheering and celebrating with him. They reached over the railings towards him and waved as he looked at them, turning on the spot to acknowledge as many of them as possible, his people. Many of them had painted parts of their bodies green and they jumped up and down with excitement at the mere sight of him. 

"Banner!" he heard called out from the other side of the arena. 

He turned unexpectedly towards his opponent, startled to hear them calling the small scientist's name. As he stared across at the contender he realised for the first time that he recognised him. The puny god, the good one, the friend one from the Avengers, Thor. As the man beamed and waved at him the Hulk felt Banner's nervous energy return.

"Banner, I don't know what the hell is going on here," Thor called with excitement, "but I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're the Champion."

The Hulk frowned slightly, how had Banner managed to find one of their old friends from earth? Had Thor and the other puny god come to Sakaar together? 

"When you knocked me out I was so worried, but seeing you are in the same situation makes up for it. Obviously you have something planned for us to escape-"

The Hulk didn't hear the rest of Thor's sentence. _Escape?_ Banner was planning to escape Sakaar? Why? He thought Banner liked it here on Sakaar. The two of them had been here so long together and had made friends, they were _happy_. 

His grip on his large weaponry intensified, as the cheers of his name continued to fill the air. Inside their mind Banner protested, trying to fight the idea that he was trying to escape, but the Hulk wasn't going to be tricked. He looked ahead at Thor, Banner's accomplice who was still going on about something that the Hulk hadn't heard a word of. 

Thor pointed towards the Grandmaster's private box, the Hulk followed his direction and saw the other puny god, the one he already knew was here. So the two of them were working together. The cheers of his name continued to echo around him and Banner was protesting in his mind again, trying to push away the Hulk's animosity towards the sudden presence of the two gods.   
There was too much noise, the crowd who he so desperately wanted to please, Thor yelling the puny scientist's name excitedly at him from across the arena and Banner yelling inside their mind. 

Why was this happening, after things had been going so well? All he wanted was to fight and revel with the crowd but now things were being complicated. He didn't know what to think, it was too much complicated information too fast, he wasn't ready for it. 

"Banner!" Thor yelled again across the arena and the Hulk felt the old but familiar irritation of being referred to as the scientist, not as himself. Not only was Thor here without the Hulk's knowledge but he was only referring to him as Banner. He hadn't even greeted the Hulk properly, just started talking as if he was Banner. No one had made the mistake of calling him the wrong name since he had been on Sakaar. Even the Scrapper who was friends with both him and Banner never called them the wrong name.

They hadn't been Banner or the Hulk in so long, they had been one, they had been happy. But now he could hear it the roaring of 'Hulk!' from the crowd with the insistent cry of 'Banner!' from Thor. He shook his head trying hard to focus as Banner attempted to calm him from deep inside, assure him it was all okay. 

Overhead green smoke erupted in giant clouds over the audience, signalling the start of the fight.

_"Hulk, Hulk, Hulk!"_ The crowd cheered.

The cheering of his name was consuming him. For so long now he had appeased them, fought every enemy placed in front of him, in the name of Sakaar, in the name of the people and they had returned the victories with praise and adoration. They loved him, he couldn't let them down, couldn't let Banner or Thor try to take him away everything he had worked for, he needed them, he needed to be Champion. 

"Banner! Hey, Banner!" Thor cried cheerfully again, cutting through the insistent chant of "Hulk!" from the crowd. 

He turned towards his old friend. "No Banner, only Hulk!" The words fell from his mouth and without hesitation he pushed the puny, calming side of Banner to the back of this mind and began to advance on Thor, determined to show Thor he wasn't going to give up his position just because they were old friends. He needed to put things back to normal and the only way he knew how was to get rid of Thor.

His first blow connected with the puny Avenger and sent him flying across the arena, the crowd erupting with applause as he did so. The Hulk felt fueled by their cheers, he knew with them on his side victory would be assured.

He roared at the puny god, holding his weapons above his head in a threatening display. If Thor remembered how fierce the Hulk was then perhaps he would back down and surrender so that they wouldn't have to have the unnecessary fight. 

"Banner, we're friends. Why are you making us fight each other?" Thor questioned as he dodged one of the Hulk's attacks.

But the Hulk didn't listen, he was already diving at Thor again at the sound of Banner's name. Why was he still calling him Banner? He was the Hulk, the Champion, why wouldn't Thor acknowledge that? He knew the Hulk's name, they had fought alongside each other many times.

The Hulk sent blow after blow at Thor, shattering his tiny weapons before a solid kick sent the tiny man flying into the wall of the arena. Cheers from the audience once again surrounded him, reassuring him that this was the right thing to do coupled with the cheer of "Hulk" erupting around him.

This fight would soon be over at this rate. Barreling towards the tiny man embedded in the wall, the Hulk lifted his axe, ready to administer the final blow. But as he swung the axe Thor was faster, swinging the Hulk's own hammer at him and delivering a direct hit.

Pain surged through the Hulk as he slammed into the wall and it collapsed on top of him. Embedded among the rubble, the Hulk began to pull himself out from among the debris. That was when he heard it... the silence. 

For the first time, the crowd was silent, simply staring in shock at how easily his opponent had managed to gain the upper hand. No one had ever managed to land such a hit on him, not since his own champion fight. 

As the Hulk picked himself out of the rubble, Thor was approaching, slowly. "Hey big guy," Thor began, still approaching cautiously. "The sun's getting real low."

The Hulk recognised those words. They were from a long time ago, before Sakaar, before he was champion, before he met the scrapper. He felt Banner instinctively react to the words, surging out from the back of their mind to once again attempt to calm control over them but the Hulk could feel the unwillingness in the scientist, he didn't want control. 

Thor was close now, reaching out his hand towards him, gently, just like the red haired woman had on earth. Everything around them was quiet, the Hulk focusing solely on Thor. Then, acting on instinct, the Hulk reached out his own hand to meet Thor's, just as he used to do with Widow.  
"That's it, sun's going down," Thor said reassuringly in that comforting tone and smiling softly. "I won't hurt you anymore, no one will." 

The Hulk could feel Banner instinctively being drawn out by this calming reassurance but the scientist was continuing to resist and suddenly the Hulk realised what was happening.   
_No!_ They couldn't transform here, not in front of the crowd, not in front of the Grandmaster! Their secret would be out, everyone would know. They would turn against them, just as the people of earth had. 

The Hulk seized Thor's wrist and slammed him into the ground in his best effort to make the man stop talking. 

Then he heard it again, the cheering of the crowd breaking the silence for the first time. Throwing Thor like a ragdoll across the arena, the Hulk used the cheering of the crowd to fend off the last of the lullaby’s words and seize control. 

"Hulk, Hulk, Hulk!" They continued to cry as he roared up at them triumphantly, relieved that they were still on his side and cheering his name again, _his name_ , not Banner's.

But now things started to get out of the Hulk's control, Thor was no longer pulling his punches. Blow after blow from Thor connected and the Hulk could hear the crowd beginning to lose confidence in him again. They began to stop calling out his name, instead they gasped and recoiled whenever Thor landed a hit on him. Some of them were even beginning to cheer for Thor as he landed hit after hit.

This only made the Hulk more desperate to get a punch in, forgetting everything he had learnt and just diving at the tiny man in any attempt to land an attack. Thor was clearly taking advantage of this desperation, easily dodging the sloppy attacks and retaliating with his own perfectly timed punches. Even though he was aware of what was happening he couldn't stop. The anger, the confusion and his desperation to impress the crowd was clouding his judgement, the anger towards Thor was surging through him, uncontrollable now. 

He needed to smash the puny Avenger, stop him from ruining this life he built, stop him from turning the people against him. The Hulk could feel Banner inside his mind panicking, becoming just as overwhelmed as the Hulk felt in this conflicting situation. Whatever the tiny scientist had planned was clearly not working, and they were both panicking as a result.

"Banner, why are we doing this, what's the matter with you? We're supposed to be friends!" Thor exclaimed. 

_That name again!_ Everytime the Hulk heard Thor call him that it fueled his anger. 

"NO BANNER, ONLY HULK!" He roared diving at Thor.

But Thor was quick, leaping at him, giant hammer swinging overhead in an attempt to knock the Hulk down, but the Hulk was quick, catching the hammer in his own grip before it could hit him. Then for a brief moment the stadium hushed as the two contenders became locked in a standstill.

With all his might the Hulk held Thor's attack at bay, looking up to meet the intense gaze of his old friend. As they looked into one another's eyes the Hulk saw that Thor wasn't angry, he was smiling. The Hulk didn't understand why, was the man really this confident that he could be _happy_ at a time like this? The Hulk only felt happy when he was winning, surely Thor didn't think he was winning this fight already? 

The Hulk felt Thor's grip on the hammer loosen as the continued to stare at one another, this was his chance. Mustering all the spare energy he could, the Hulk punched Thor as hard as he could, sending the man flying across the dirt of the arena floor. Then the Hulk was leaping, landing on the tumbling body of his opponent and pinning him to the ground.

He held his fist in the air, hovering it above as he stared down at Thor who was looking up at him.

"Banner, please," Thor managed to choke out through the grip of the Hulk's giant hand. 

There it was again, that name. Not his name, the _wrong_ name.

Giving in to all his rage he unleashed everything he had left, punch after punch connecting with Thor's face in a desperate attempt to end the fight. If it were any other opponent their skull would have been crushed by now, but the Hulk knew Thor was built stronger than most. Banner was gone completely from his mind now, having retreated in fear at the Hulk's violent outburst.   
As the Hulk continued to administer blow after blow, unable to control his anger, Thor suddenly began to glow. Tiny blue sparks scattered all over his body, his eyes beginning to glow a vibrant blue. 

The Hulk ceased in his attacks, confused at what was happening. He had never seen Thor like this before.

Then, without warning, a surge of electricity shot from Thor right into the Hulk's chest, lifting him off of his friend and sending him backwards across the arena. As he landed with a thud, his helmet fell off and bounced across the floor. The audience fell silent once again, a low murmur rippling throughout. 

He had to get up, he couldn't let everyone see him down like this, couldn't let them think he was defeated. He pulled himself to his feet, looking across to see Thor standing in the middle of the arena, the blue sparks dancing all over his body.

Showing no fear he hurtled towards his old friend, nothing in his mind but the desperation of victory. Thor matched his pace, closing the gap towards each other, neither one backing down.   
As they leapt, clashing in the centre of the arena the Hulk felt Thor's fist make contact with his jaw, sending the two of them flying in opposite directions as the loudest crack of thunder the Hulk had ever heard echoed around the arena.

As the Hulk lay on his back, the dust settling around him he noticed that the crowd were now chanting something completely different. 

_"Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!"_

As he pulled himself up he looked around desperately at them. But their attention was no longer on him, they were cheering and pointing towards Thor, his eyes continuing glowing a vibrant blue as he slowly began advancing towards the Hulk. This was wrong, the Hulk was the Champion, not Thor. They were supposed to be cheering for him. How had they abandoned him so easily for the new contender?

The Hulk had to stop him, had to make the people cheer for him again, remind them why he was their champion. He stood poised for attack, but the Hulk did not get his chance, for as Thor approached the tiny man suddenly began to convulse violently and unexpectedly fell to the ground. 

The crowd were booing at this, the Hulk felt anguished to hear them upset, they were here to cheer for his victory, he had to give them what they wanted. Not questioning the sudden fall of his opponent the Hulk wasted no time. 

Channeling his desire to please the crowd through the rage burning inside him, he prepared to deliver the final blow. Leaping as high as he possibly could the Hulk soared through the air, almost to the top of the stadium. The audience gasped as he sailed high above them then fist first back towards the ground where Thor lay. The last thing he noticed before he landed his attack was the man's futile attempt to block the final assault. 

It did nothing though as the full force of the Hulk landed on top of him, the Hulk's fist slamming into Thor's head, resulting in the tiny man finally being knocked out cold. Finally, he had won.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the Grandmaster’s voice suddenly boomed over the arena, "our Champion remains undefeated!" 

The crowd remained silent at first but then like a wave rippling through the stadium the cheering began. There was something wrong though, the Hulk noticed, the crowd were cheering but he didn't feel good about it.

He looked down at the unconscious body of his friend, Thor. As he stared at the lifeless man he felt something deep inside, a feeling that this was wrong, that he had made a mistake. He had been so blinded with rage during the fight, but now that it was over and the anger was subsiding he realised what he had done. 

The cheers were deafening now and people were once again waving their banners and fake hulks. They waved at him and cheered his name. They did still love him after all, he had been worried for nothing, but at the cost of something dear, he felt. 

As celebratory green fireworks erupted overhead and the crowd began their celebrations the Hulk kneeled beside his friend and placed a hand gently on Thor's chest. How could he have done this, how could he have hurt his friend. 

Scooping up Thor's body, the Hulk made his way out of the arena. There would be no celebration in the street for him that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates have been delayed because I've had a busy couple of weeks.   
> I'll try and pick things up!  
> Thank you all once again!


	19. A Hollow Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"What are you doing!?" Thor yelled, rolling onto the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his own chest._
> 
> _"Hulk just trying to help friend!" He yelled back, matching Thor's tone, suddenly angry at Thor's ingratitude._
> 
> _"What by nearly killing me?" Thor exclaimed, trying to pull himself up off the ground while holding his ribs in pain.  
> _

No one was bold enough to argue with the Hulk on a normal day so his increased agitation after the fight gave them even more reason not question him for returning to his apartment with the contender held firmly in his arms. 

Inside his dark apartment he could hear the celebrations in the city below. The fireworks in the sky signaled another victory giving all of Sakaar a cause for celebration and throwing coloured flashes of light through the window. He thought back to the night he had won his first victory, they had celebrated that night too. He felt hollow, did it really matter who was the champion after all, the crowd had so easily turned on him in support of Thor when the god of thunder had turned the tables on him. Would the people simply cheer for whoever was the strongest, regardless of who they were? 

The Hulk jammed his 'Do Not Disturb' button by the door. The Scrapper had taught him to use it in case he needed any reason to transform back into Banner without her around, but for now he simply didn't want anyone in here, no Scrapper, no Grandmaster with his entourage of admirers and guards. Banner was sitting at the back of his mind, scared and apologetic, neither of them had been prepared for what had happened but Banner clearly more affected by the conflicting calls of the crowd and Thor that had caused a rift between them that they had not known for so long. Long ago the Hulk would have simply shut Banner out and taken control, but with how closely connected their two minds had been for so long he had not been that simple. 

Placing Thor's body gently on the floor he stared down at his friend. He had been so confused as the god spoke like the Hulk already knew he was here. Banner must have seen him before the fight, but had chosen to keep the information from the Hulk. This felt like another case of Banner trying to keep his own life separate from the Hulk even after they had so closely begun sharing things. 

Every time the Hulk looked at Thor’s body fear and anxiety radiated off of Banner in his mind. It had started during the fight and hadn’t stopped. If only the Hulk had known what it was that Banner had wanted him to do, with the cheer of the crowd he hadn’t been able to focus or understand what was happening.

The Hulk could tell that Thor needed help now, help that he wasn't able to give, he needed Banner for that, Banner was smart when it came to this kind of thing. Closing his eyes he reached out to the scared man in the back of his mind, urging him to return, urging him to help their friend. Telling him it was okay to take control.

Banner responded by recoiling further into the recess of their mind, the Hulk could feel nothing but self-doubt and loathing coming from his counterpart. Banner was scared and the sight of Thor's body was only agitating him further. 

The Hulk didn't understand, Banner had _never_ refused an invitation to take control. He was always willing to return to his human form when the Hulk grew tired or needed to hide from hostile forces. What had happened the last time Banner was in control to cause such a reaction like this?

Had the Hulk done something to provoke such a reaction? He thought back to the fight, Banner had started acting unsettled then but the Hulk had been in such a state of confusion at that point that he hadn't paid attention to what had set Banner off. If only they had been able to communicate properly during the fight, he would have understood what Banner wanted him to do.

He heard a banging on the other side of the doorway to his apartment but the angry red forcefield blocked out his view of whoever was there. 

"Big Guy!" He heard the Scrapper yell, followed by more banging. 

"Go away!" The Hulk yelled. He didn't want her seeing him like this. For some reason the refusal from Banner to emerge made him feel vulnerable and the very thought of her seeing him in that state made it worse. 

"What the hell happened out there!?" The Scrapper yelled from the other side as she banged with more ferocity.

"Angry Girl go, leave Hulk alone." He ordered. She sounded angry, would she scold him for how terribly he had fought? Was she angry that Thor had almost outed their secret in front of the whole planet? Maybe she would try and take Thor’s body away from him.

A few more knocks persisted but they soon ended. 

“Fine!” He heard her call in a resigned voice before storming away.

He felt alone, Thor was passed out, the Angry Girl pushed away and even Banner, the one constant presence he had always known, was gone. The feeling of emptiness didn’t last long before it began to change, the emptiness instead becoming anger, anger at himself, anger at not understanding why Banner was upset, anger at Thor, anger at the Sakaarians.

His breathing became rapid and his heart was beginning to beat faster and faster. Seizing the nearest weapon that lay on the floor he gripped it tight and did the only thing he knew how to, smash. Blow after blow he smashed whatever he could find, chairs, table and the holographic machine embedded within it. Sparks erupted from the machine, flooding the room with bursts of light as the live wires surged. 

Stumbling back the Hulk couldn't help but stare at the flashing light sparking out the end of the exposed electronics of the projector. They reminded him of Thor and the fight they had just had, Thor lighting up with surges of blue electricity just like those in front of him. The Hulk's first instinct was to smash them more until the flickering stopped but as the mace hovered over his head threatening an attack he found himself unable to. He looked over at Thor's body and then back at the sparks again. Slowly the mace slipped from his grip and fell to the ground with a clatter. Slowly he began to approach Thor, his mind trying to figure out if this was the correct course of action. Normally Banner would be there to tell him whether to stop if something was a bad idea but without the tiny scientist there to help he was unable to decide for himself. 

Lifting Thor under one arm he turned back and stared at the flickering blue light that was still illuminating the room. This would be okay right? Thor was electric and the sparks looked the same. If the Hulk found a way to wake Thor up then perhaps Banner would come back. If Thor was safe then Banner wouldn't have anything to worry about then he would come back out and they could go back to how things had been.

Without another moment hesitation the Hulk threw Thor down against the protruding wires from the projector. Thor's body instantly began to convulse as it connected with the exposed wiring and the apartment was filled with erratic illumination. Between the flashes the Hulk couldn't see any changes, Thor remained lifeless even as the electrical current surged through his body. 

Just as the Hulk decided his plan wasn't going as he thought it would, the god of thunder's eyes burst open and the vibrant blue light shone out from his eyes. The convulsions continued but the the Hulk could see the electricity taking physical form around Thor and coursing over his body in blue surges. Suddenly it erupted out of him and all the lights in the buildings outside the Hulk's window began to flicker on and off rapidly until Thor let out a pained cry causing the power to shoot back down into the console and the lights outside to stop flickering. 

"What are you doing!?" Thor yelled, rolling onto the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his own chest.

"Hulk just trying to help friend!" He yelled back, matching Thor's tone, suddenly angry at Thor's ingratitude.

"What by nearly killing me?" Thor exclaimed, trying to pull himself up off the ground while holding his ribs in pain. 

"Hulk save Thor! Hulk trying be good friend, like Banner!"

Thor let out a huff of laughter. "Banner? The friend who kidnapped me and forced us to fight in that arena with telling either of us? That friend?" 

The words cut deep, the one thing Banner had always had over Hulk was friends. He was the one the others always wanted to share victory with when the fighting was over. The Hulk knew that the one thing the tiny scientist valued more than anything was his friends.

"Don't talk 'bout Banner that way!" The Hulk yelled. "Banner good friend!" 

Thor deflated and sat on the ground, breathing heavily and looking up at the Hulk, his expression dropped. "Yeah, I know" he muttered. "I'm lucky I have a friend like Banner... and you."

"Thor only Banner's friend," the Hulk responded. Although he did like the idea of having more friends, Thor and he had plenty of opportunities on earth to have already become friends.

"I'm not just his friend, I like you too," Thor offered, trying to sound genuine.

"Really?" The Hulk asked, trying to remember a time when Thor had ever shown him friendship. 

"Yeah, of course, don't you remember all those times..." Thor stopped clearly trying to think of his own examples. "Oh! Our fight on the Helicarrier, or that time you knocked me clear across the room during the alien invasion! Those are great examples of us..." Thor was sounded like he was even trying to convince himself at this point, "... being great friends."

"Banner's friend," the Hulk stated again, crossing his arms, unconvinced. 

"What, Banner? No! He's all, 'Ohh I'm into number's and science and stuff.' No, I like you best!" Thor responded enthusiastically. 

Thor wasn't acting very convincingly but the Hulk decided that at least Thor's effort to be friends was enough. Then under the layer of forced enthusiasm he could see that something was still bothering the man. 

"Thor sad?" He asked. Figuring that friends were supposed to ask questions like that and perhaps it would be nice to be friends with Thor, after all both Hulk and Banner were friends with the Scrapper. Banner was still very far away in his mind so perhaps showing Banner how good a friend the Hulk could be to Thor would help bring him out. 

Thor didn't respond to the Hulk's question, he simply sat on the floor continuing, in the Hulk's opinion, to sulk. 

"Thor sad," he repeated, moving over to his friend's side and sitting down next to him with a thud.

"Yeah, Big Guy, I am sad," he admitted. "I lost my hammer, I lost my father..."

The Hulk could see the hurt on his friend’s face, he didn't know how he was supposed to help.  
"Hulk lose Banner," he offered attempting to sound sympathetic.

"What do you mean? I saw Banner earlier today, before the fight," Thor said looking up at him. 

"During fight, Banner get scared. Banner leave Hulk," he explained pointing to his head.   
"Banner gone." 

"How long do you stay like," Thor gestured up at down at the Hulk, " _this_ , normally?"

The Hulk shrugged. "Hulk almost always Hulk now. Only Banner when Angry Girl asks," he added for good measure. 

He saw a look of confusion on Thor's face.

"How did you get here? After the fight with Ultron when you disappeared everyone just assumed you might be dead." 

The Hulk thought back to the day of his arrival, it was so far away now, he barely ever thought about it. 

"Quinjet!" He answered, miming the jet falling out of the sky and smashing into the floor. 

"Yes, of course! Is it still here?" Thor asked excitedly. 

The Hulk nodded in response and pulled himself up off the floor, moving over to the window. "Down there," he pointed. 

Thor had jumped up, wincing at the pain as he continued to cradle his chest and joined the Hulk by the window. "Yes! Great, I’m getting us out of here. We're going home, to Asgard, you'll love it, It’s big, It’s golden, it's shiny" 

Thor was practically bouncing with excitement now. But the Hulk found he didn't share that feeling, at Thor's mention of going 'home', of leaving Sakaar, he recoiled. 

"Hulk stay," he stated leaving the window and heading towards the bed. He didn't want to have this conversation and there was no way Thor could have it with him if he was sleeping. Sakaar had been his home for so long now, he had no intention of leaving. 

"What, no!" Thor followed him across the room blurting out some nonsense about the end of the world and a prophecy but the Hulk was already yawning and climbing onto the bed. "Look," Thor continued. "If you help me get back to Asgard then I will help you get back to earth!"

The Hulk didn't understand why this was supposed to be a good thing. "Earth hate Hulk," he stated rolling over and pulling the blanket over himself so Thor would leave him alone. He remembered the terrified screams and the terrified faces of the people when he had accidentally attacked them. 

"Earth loves Hulk. They love you. You’re one of the Avengers," Thor attempted to reassure him.   
"One of the team, one of our friends. This is what friends do. They support each other!" 

Thor was at the side of the bed now and the Hulk could tell he was trying his best to helpful but Thor didn't know. He didn't know what it was like to only ever be greeted by screams of fear or anger, to be hunted and cast out. 

"Earth and Avengers hate Hulk. Earth and Avengers only love Banner," the Hulk said. "Sakaar and Grandmaster love Hulk. Hulk stay on Sakaar." 

"What? You mean those people out there?" Thor questioned. "The ones who use you to fight in their sick blood sports. Who only exploit you because of how strong you are? You call that love?" 

The Hulk grunted and pulled the blanket tighter around himself, he didn't want to admit it but he knew what Thor was saying was true. He had thought the people loved him, the way they looked at him and celebrated with him in the streets. But earlier that night they had been so quick to turn on him in favour of Thor just because he gained the upper hand.

"And Banner?" Thor continued. "Does Banner like it here more than earth? Are you selfish enough to keep him here, away from the people he loves?"

"Banner choose to stay on Sakaar," the Hulk retaliated. "Banner like Sakaar."

"Really?" Thor scoffed. "Loves it so much he’s refusing to come out?" 

"Thor not understand!" 

The Hulk was trying to keep himself hidden form Thor, he didn't want his most powerful friend to see him like this, he wished the Angry Girl was here instead, why had he sent her away earlier instead of letting her in. He wished Banner was here, Banner was always the one who dealt with this emotional stuff and he would be able to explain things better to Thor. Unable to control it, the Hulk let out a sob as a tear escaped and ran down his cheek.

Sensing something was wrong Thor had now climbed up onto the bed beside him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. 

"I'm sorry," Thor said, his voice softening. "I shouldn't have said those things. Perhaps I don't understand everything that is going on here."

There was silence between them and the Hulk felt Thor pull himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping with his weight.

"Thor good friend," the Hulk responded, managing to compose himself after several more minutes of silence. The Hulk realised that perhaps Thor hadn't been lying after all when he said he liked him better than Banner. He wished he could become Banner now, that the tiny man would come out from the depths of their mind and tell him what to do and make everything better. 

"You're a good friend too," Thor stated. "Now roll over, you've smashed all the couches in here and I'm not sleeping on the floor." The Hulk shifted to the far side of the bed, keeping his back to his friend who was now settling in alongside him. “First thing tomorrow morning the two of us will work _together_ to find my brother and get the hell off this planet.” 

Perhaps everything would be fine after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is obviously a Science Bro fic but if you are looking for more Thruce content then I can't recommend Rerin's fic [Thor Good Friend](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13347099/chapters/30558072) enough.


	20. Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The Hulk was worried, Banner was still showing no sign of wanting to emerge. "No Banner," he stated._
> 
> _"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it before," Brunnhilde replied, exasperated. "Now let's go Big Guy, we don't have time for this."_
> 
> _"No!" The Hulk yelled. Trying to think of a way to make them understand. "No Banner. Banner go."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay everyone! Time got away from me but I'm back with regular updates now.

The agonising scream from Thor woke the Hulk from his sleep with a start. He shot out of bed ready to fight whatever it was that was threatening his friend. Fists clenched he searched the room for the enemy but only saw Thor twitching on the floor in the entranceway to the apartment. Pulling himself up off the floor, Thor clutched at his neck, scratching at something.   
Thor looked over at him and sighed. 

"I thought I might try and sneak a look down the corridor but this thing..." he attempted to pull it away from his neck but let out another cry of pain before releasing it. "It won't let me leave."

The Hulk had seen these devices in other contenders’ necks but since he had never been forced to wear one he had never thought to ask about their purpose. 

"Until we get rid of it there's no way I can get out." Thor stated irritably. "You don't happen to know how to get rid of it?"

The Hulk considered this for a moment. But shook his head. "Hulk not wear one," he explained with a shrug. 

"Lucky for some," Thor mumbled before his expression changed and he looked up excitedly. "That means you get out of this room!"

The Hulk nodded. 

"Okay, I need you to do something for me, then I promise we'll work on getting us both off of this planet."

The Hulk listened as Thor explained about finding the Scrapper and more importantly the small device she carried with her. It was simple enough of an instruction, go out and find her but the Hulk still looked hesitantly at the doorway. He had never spent much time alone wandering the palace. Not that he wasn't allowed to, he just always found himself in the presence of the Scrapper or the Grandmaster. He didn't even have Banner at the moment, his other self was still choosing to hide in the back of their mind, but looking at Thor's optimistic expression filled him with some confidence, he could do this. 

Dressing in his training gear and waving goodbye to Thor he set out down the corridor. The Palace was oddly quiet but he attributed that to the late night celebration everyone would have had after the fight last night. Normally the Hulk wouldn't train so soon after a match so the guards had not thought to come and escort him to the stadium. He felt uneasy walking through the palace unescorted but he found he liked it, there was something about the freedom that he felt he could get used to. He knew the way after all, why shouldn't he walk by himself. Once he got back to earth he would walk where ever he pleased. 

Passing several patrols he was greeted with concerned looks as they muttered to each other obviously unsure if they should be allowing him to walk alone but the Hulk ignored them and continued not giving them the opportunity to stop him. As he walked he remembered only Banner had been to the Scrapper's apartment, without Banner's help he wouldn't be able find it again and it was still evident that Banner had no intention of coming out. So the Hulk made his way to the only other place he knew how to get to.

 

As he approached the main arena he saw that it was closed for maintenance after all the damage he and Thor had caused there last night so he doubled back to the practice arena that was used by the smaller gladiators. He was still unsure about how he was going to get the Scrapper to meet him here. He had sent her away last night, an action he was now regretting. She would not think to look for him here so he had to think of a way to draw her out, to make her realise he wanted to see her. 

The practice arena was nowhere near the size of the main arena. It felt cramped and claustrophobic by comparison, he knew he would never be able to fight properly in here, there was nowhere near the space he was used to. There was nothing here, nothing that would be able to help him, just himself. 

His expression broke into a grin as he realised what he could do. Rearing back and inhaling as deep as he could the Hulk let out the loudest roar possible. It shook the walls of the arena and would have deafened anyone standing nearby. He waited a few seconds before inhaling again and letting out another roar with as much ferocity as the first. Nearly all of the city would have heard it but he knew only the Scrapper would care enough to come and investigate. 

After an hour of training by himself he spotted movement in the corner of his eye. It was clear the person was trying not to be seen, sticking to the shadows and attempting to stay in his blind spots as he moved about. He knew it was her instantly, no one else on Sakaar would dare sneak up on the Hulk if they valued their life. He attempted not to smile as he pretended to swing his axe around all the while keeping his focus on the approaching figure. They played this game often and she rarely won. He had never given away the fact that he could smell her so easily that her attempts to sneak up on him were pointless. 

When she finally attempted to make her move he was ready. She kicked the back of his knee so he would stumble but his hand shot out and seized her wrist so that as he fell he would take her down with him. She had been ready for this though and slipped her hand out of his before he could get a proper grip on her. Now she was on top of him, pushing her weight against his shoulder so that he stayed down. They both knew that he could easily get out from under her grip but the Hulk made no attempt to escape, instead holding his hands out in mock surrender. 

They were both laughing now as she held him pinned against the ground. She relaxed her grip and the Hulk climbed back on to his feet. 

"I didn't expect to see you back out here so quick," she said, crossing her arms. "Not after last night." 

"Hulk need Angry Girl's help," he replied not wasting any time to get to the point. 

"If it's more training then you've got that right, last night was a shambles." She had drawn her sword as was clearly preparing for some drills. "If you think I wasn't watching-" 

"Not help with training," he interrupted. He stared at her, slightly nervous about bringing up the subject. He shifted nervously and gripped his axe tight in his hand. "Hulk want to go home." 

She stopped and looked at him. Not replying and simply staring. 

"Hulk not want fight in arena anymore," he explained. "Hulk want go home to friends."

The Scrapper exhaled as she sheathed her sword, clearly holding back her emotions. He had always had a hard time figuring out if she was properly angry with him or just pretending because it was what she was used to. Would she be angry at him for wanting to leave? 

"Okay," she whispered finally, "let's get you out of here." Her expression was oddly blank. It was clear she was trying to hide exactly how she was feeling about this situation. 

"Angry girl, _angry_ , with Hulk?"

"No," she stated with a shrug. "You want to leave that's your decision." She turned and begun making her way towards the exit.

"Angry Girl leave with Hulk?" He asked.

She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "What?" 

"Angry Girl Hulk's friend. Not want to leave friend behind." He realised that although he wanted to leave Sakaar he did not want to leave her. She was the first person to accept him for _him_ , not because of Banner. She was his first real friend and wasn't sure if he was prepared to leave that behind. 

"You don't want me around," she stated. "You've got your other friend now." 

"Hulk not leave without Angry Girl. Hulk drag her away with him if have to," he said playfully. He watched as her empty expression changed and a small grin began to form. He praised himself internally for being able to know how to cheer her up, he was getting good at the 'friend' thing. 

"I'd like to see you try," she shot back at him. "Now come on, let's go." 

"Hulk need go back to apartment!" He exclaimed as he caught up to her. 

"What, why? That's just wasting time."

 

After much persuading he managed to get her to return to the apartment with her. Stepping into the room together he scanned the room for Thor. 

"I still don't know why you insisted on us coming back here," she begun but was interrupted by the appearance of Thor, stepping out from behind the liquor shelf. 

The Hulk tuned out of the following conversation as Thor and Brunnhilde argued about some boring subject that the Hulk didn't care for. At one point Brunnhilde even drew a knife on Thor as they spoke but he brushed it aside. The Hulk assumed it must have been a normal thing for their people and paid little attention as he continued to amuse himself by bouncing a ball against the wall of his apartment. 

"I won't help you fight your war. But I will help the Big Guy leave, if that's what he wants," Brunnhilde explained.

"Fine," Thor stated clearly mildly irritated but conceding the argument. 

"Okay, first things first," Brunnhilde exhaled. "We can get you out of here but we can't do it with you looking like that," she gestured to the Hulk. "The second the Grandmaster sees you anywhere but here or the training ground we'll have guards crawling all over us." The Hulk stopped throwing the ball and turned his attention back to his two friends. 

"I agree," Thor blurted out but Brunnhilde simply side eyed him. "Banner will be much easier to disguise."

The Hulk was worried, Banner was still showing no sign of wanting to emerge. "No Banner," he stated. 

"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it before," Brunnhilde replied, exasperated. "Now let's go Big Guy, we don't have time for this."

"No!" The Hulk yelled. Trying to think of a way to make them understand. "No Banner. Banner go." 

"What?" She asked, her hands moving to her hips as they often did when she lost patience with him.

"Banner scared," the Hulk attempted to explain. "Banner no want be Banner. Only Hulk." He pointed to his head in attempt to help explain. 

"He did try to tell me this last night after the fight," Thor explained to her. "But I wasn't sure if I was missing something."

"It's news to me," she whispered looking at Thor, "he was Banner yesterday." 

"I guess he'll just have to stay as the Hulk and we'll have to think of a plan," Thor attempted. 

"Oh yeah? Not on my watch." Brunnhilde stated. 

She crossed the room to the Hulk's bed, pushing aside a shield that was propped against it and the wall, her small arm reaching inside a hidden cavity of the skull. The Hulk watched as she drew out a black bag and carried back towards them. The Hulk stared curiously, when had she hidden that there? He wasn't even aware of what it was, only that it was familiar from somewhere a long time ago. 

He tilted his head to the side, watching as she unzipped and stuck her hand inside before looking up to meet his eyes. 

"Sorry Big Guy, but let's see him ignore this." Her hand pulled a tiny white garment with a coloured pattern out of the bag. At first the Hulk had no idea how this was supposed to draw out Banner but taking a closer look he suddenly recognised it. 

Banner was suddenly awake in his mind again, and his memories were flooding back causing the Hulk to stumble violently away from the offending garment. Memories of their old home filled his mind. Memories of that tower on earth with its soft beds, laboratories filled with music, sleepless nights and that genius playboy. The Hulk felt Banner try to push them away and try to focus on the roar of the crowd, the feel of the dirt under the Hulk's sandals, the multi coloured city built from junk and the howl of the wind as it blew through the wasteland. The Hulk fought back as best as he could with the memories he had of earth, the two halves clashing and mixing together as they fought against one another. The Iron Man was beside him in the arena and the crowd cheered his name, the Grandmaster was in the laboratory at Stark Tower praising Bruce's genius, the people of Johannesburg cheered and waved green flags as the Hulk ripped the Hulkbuster to shreds and then suddenly portals opened across the New York skyline and began to rain junk down upon the city. Both Bruce and the Hulk screamed in pain together as the memories separated and attempted to sort themselves properly. 

As well as the mental battle, it was physically painful, Banner was resisting, causing them to shift backwards and forwards between the two forms, their muscles contracting and expanding repeatedly, fighting to find the form that would take control, it was the first time neither of them wanted to be the one in command. Their limbs exploded with pain as grew and shrunk repeatedly, trying to settle themselves.

After a struggle Banner had to give in as he was consumed by the memories of home and the physical pain of the transformation. Unable to fight the iron will of the Hulk any longer he surrendered, collapsing in a heap on the floor, his arms wrapped tight around his head to stop the others from seeing his face, to stop the reality catching up to him. His head felt like it could split open from the pain as the memories of two lives clashed like a storm in his skull.

He hadn't wanted this, why had they forced him back when he made it so clear that he didn't want to be here? Perhaps if he laid here like this long enough everyone would forget about him and he could be left in peace. Tears were already streaming down his face, not just from the pain of the transformation, but from his own personal shame. 

But then he felt it, someone sit next to where he was curled up on the floor before a large set of arms pulled him into an embrace.

"Shh," Thor whispered in his ears, "Suns going down." 

He remembered those words. Nat used them to calm the Hulk down after battle, they used to be the only thing the Hulk would listen to. They were nice words. He sat there motionless, listening to the nice words as Thor repeated them over and over.

But despite those words tears were still rolling down his cheeks, he didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve the nice words, not after what he had done. He attempted to push Thor away from him, to spare the man from the burden of comforting him but Thor's grip only tightened and the soothing lullaby continued, he could now feel that Thor was running his hand along the back of Bruce's neck and up into his hair. 

"I'm. So. Sorry." Bruce managed to gasp between sobs. "I thought I could control him."

"It's okay," Thor assured him.

"No," Bruce retaliated, speaking into Thor's chest. "I could have killed you, I don't know what I was thinking." 

"Nonsense, I won that fight," Thor responded, trying to make light of the situation. "Technically you cheated too," 

"I let myself get carried away but I should have known better. I thought I could be like you."  
"Like me?"

"You, Cap, Clint, even Nat. This stuff come so easily to all of you, I thought the Hulk and I..." he had to stop, to catch his breath and think about how it wanted to say it. "I thought that I might finally have a grip on this. I was so careless with your life, if anything had happened to how could I ever have shown my face again?"

"Well luckily I'm fine, so you don't have to hide anything. And when we get back to Earth no one will know anything different."

"No!" Bruce recoiled but Thor was ready with his tight grip again, preventing him from escaping. "I can't go back, I'm not like the rest of you. I belong here, on Sakaar." His voice dropped as he said it. "Here the Hulk is loved and revered. We don't slow anyone down. I've been happy! I struggle to remember days when I was happy on Earth." He nodded, his mind practically made up. "The Hulk can live a better life here on Sakaar than I can on Earth." He found himself believing those words. The sound of the crowd cheering their name, the way the Grandmaster looked at him, the way the Scrapper laughed at the Hulk's short temper. It all fit, _they fit_.

"What about Stark?" Thor asked. 

Thor's words cut through Banner like an icy wind. He pulled his head away from Thor's chest just enough to look up at his face. "W-What about him?" Bruce felt is voice falter as he spoke. 

Thor's eyebrow raised. "I'm not blind, I've seen the way you two look at each other." Thor raised his hand and pointed at something behind Bruce. "Also, there's that." Bruce turned to look and saw that Thor was indicating Tony's shirt, still in Brunnhilde's hands. 

Bruce had completely forgotten that Brunnhilde was in the room with them. His cheeks flushed red at the thought of her seeing him like this. He supposed she would have seen it eventually, _the real him_ , not the person he had been pretending to be since he arrived on Sakaar. But then he saw that her expression was one of concern not of judgement or pity. She slowly held out her the shirt towards him. He took it from her gently and brought it around to clutch against his chest, muttering a weak 'thank you'. 

The shirt was one of Tony's favourites, they had listened to the album so many times in the lab together. He found himself smiling at the memory of it, Tony interrupting his work and spinning Bruce around in his chair so Bruce had to watch him mime the lyrics of his favourite chorus. That had been so long ago. Thinking of the memory made his head hurt again as it attempted to settle back into his stream of thoughts in the correct place. He must have reacted physically to the memory because Thor had tightened his grip on him again and was holding him close again.

Once the pain had settled down again Bruce exhaled heavily and spoke into Thor's chest. "You said it's been two years. Tony will have forgotten all about me... He'll have moved on."

Thor let out a laugh. "When you didn't appear after the fight with Ultron everyone was ready to declare you M.I.A or worse. Not Stark though, he assured everyone that you would be back any day."

"R-Really?" Bruce asked, he had no information after that fight. Hearing that Tony had though he would be back in a matter of days threatened to bring tears back to his eyes. It was too much, the thought of Tony waiting and waiting for him to return for over two years. 

"Stark is a lot of things," Thor began, "and lucky for you, one of those things is stubborn." 

"What do you mean?' Bruce asked. Unsure where Thor was going with this particular thought.

"Well he assured everyone you would be back. To admit he no longer thought that was the case would be admitting he was wrong." 

Bruce let out a small laugh as he wiped the remaining tears from his face. He could always trust Thor to look at things from a completely different perspective to his own. For the first time Bruce was suddenly aware of how good a friend Thor had always been to him. Bruce always felt there was some level of unspoken respect between the two of them. Something to do with the Hulk's strength rivalling that of Thor's but Banner refusing to use it. 

"It's a good match." Thor said out of nowhere. "You and Stark."

Bruce turned to look at his friend, a far off look was on his face, like he was remembering something. 

"How long have you known?" Bruce prompted.

Thor grinned. "Do you remember the time we busted those arms dealers. The first time I was back on earth after the battle of Manhattan."

Bruce frowned. He remembered, Thor had returned for a short stay to make sure everything was still okay on Earth in the wake of the invasion. But he and Tony had not been together at that point, there was of course the odd exchanged glance or touch that lasted too long, but nothing certain. "We weren't even-" he began. 

"I know. It was post mission and you had just transformed back. I made a joke with you about the Hulk's..." Thor looked awkwardly over at Brunnhilde, giving a nervous laugh, "well, you remember." 

Brunnhilde simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Bruce strained to remember, post-transformations were always cloudy. He recalled the joke but he had been too exhausted to pay it any attention at the time. "I don't understand, what has that got to do with me and Tony?"

"He was there when I said it. You should have seen the look on his face," Thor laughed at the memory. "Then Later that night at the party he was doing everything he could to get your attention." 

"I remember" Bruce gasped, the memories starting to painfully slot into place but despite the pain he forced himself to remember. Tony had been extra clingy that night, barley letting Bruce out of his sight. Bruce just thought it had been the alcohol or the adrenaline of victory still lingering. Despite their instant connection on the Heli-carrier the two had only been friends for no more than a few months and he was still learning what Tony was really like behind the persona he put on in public. 

"I'm sorry," Bruce began but Thor held up a hand to silence him. 

"Don't apologise. I saw the way he attended to your every need and the way you looked at him in when he wasn't looking. It was obvious." 

Banner smiled to himself, remembering that night. Tony had been so eager to refill his drinks, to constantly ask if there was anything he needed and to save him from unwanted conversations. He hadn't understood Tony's constant hovering and insistence for attention. But in retrospect he couldn't believe how oblivious he had been to the affection Tony was attempting to shower him with. Bruce had never been very good at that kind of thing and evidently Tony wasn't either, when it counted. The thought of Tony Stark being threatened romantically by Thor made Bruce grin like an idiot. 

"When you left to go back to your room I saw him try to follow you." Thor added, lost in thought.  
Bruce's grin disappeared, he knew for a fact he had gone straight to bed without seeing Tony again that night. "What did you do?" Bruce asked.

"Grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him out onto the balcony." 

"Why?"

"I explained that my intention was purely that of friendship to break the ice of an awkward situation and nothing more. I didn't want him thinking he had to rush his affections quicker than required. Once he knew I wasn't interested in that way he relaxed." 

Bruce sat there, quietly stunned, all this time he had never realised how much he owed Thor. It had been months until Tony had actually made his feelings clear. 

Bruce felt the rumbling from Thor's chest as he laughed and found that it was a comfort. His friend didn't have a hint of anger or sadness in his voice. Despite everything that had happened between them over the past day Thor was still here, comforting him in his moment of need. They remained sitting on the floor together for a long time, Thor resting his head on top of Bruce's and shielding him from the world behind his huge arms. Bruce felt safe here, hidden away from everything with the reassuring presence of his old friend surrounding him. After a while, when Bruce's breathing returned to normal and he had regained his composure he began to slowly pull away, Thor releasing him as he did.

"Now," Thor stated looking between Bruce and the Brunnhilde. "Would someone please explain what is going on here?" 

Bruce was suddenly aware that she was watching as he had allowed his old friend to cradle him in his arms on the floor. Bruce wasted no time crawling out of Thor's grip and excusing himself across the room to change. 

"Where should we start?" Brunnhilde asked.

"The Champion stuff is obvious," Thor began, "but what I don't understand is, why?" He looked around the apartment, "It doesn't exactly look like you're a prisoner here. So I assume it's not because you're being kept against your will."

"It's complicated," Bruce called across the room as he released the remains of the Hulk's large skirt and begun to pull Tony's pants on. _God_ , they were so tight, how did Tony wear them this tight? "I suppose the simplest answer is, because the Hulk likes it," Bruce called out. As he continued to dress he listened as Brunnhilde explained some more of the finer details surrounding Loki's arrival. The pain in his head was easing now but he could still feel the lingering effects of the transformation. Finally dressed, he stepped back out into the centre of the room, adjusting the cuffs on his jacket and making eye contact with the Brunnhilde. "I found things to stay for too," he added with a smile. 

She smiled at that response before looking back to Thor. "The man who runs this place, the Grandmaster, we needed a way to keep him off our backs. So we entered you as a contender to buy us some time."

"I thought I would be able to control the Hulk," Bruce explained. "We've changed, being here has helped us work things out and I thought that the connection we had would help me rein-in the smashing during our fight. Batter each other a bit but otherwise end the fight with both of us relatively unharmed. I wasn't strong enough though," Bruce trailed off. The noise of the crowd filling his head and causing a surge of pain to return. They had done it to him, along with Thor's insistence to use the name Banner instead of Hulk. It should have been obvious to him, but he had been over confident and underestimated the Hulk. Against any other enemy it would have been fine, but not against one of their friends, there was too much emotional attachment.

Bruce returned to the centre of the room, flopping down to pull Tony's socks and shoes on. As he pulled them out the bag, he inspected them. Bruce didn't think he had ever owned a pair of shoes this nice in his life, even the socks felt expensive. 

"Well, we're all here now," Thor assured him. "I think we can agree that we need to get out of here immediately. What's the plan?"

"First things first," Brunnhilde began, taking command almost too eagerly. "We need to get him," she gestured at Bruce still sitting on the floor, "out of the palace and somewhere safe. If the Grandmaster gets any hint of foul play, this place will be locked down and we'll never get him out."

"What?" Thor asked looking between them both. "You mean that old man? Why should two Asgardians and the Hulk be afraid of him? You've faced Hela," Thor continued, looking at Brunnhilde. "And we've fended off an alien invasion and Ultron. I think we're perfectly capable of handling some eccentric old man and his palace guards."

"The Grandmaster is capable of power you couldn't imagine," Brunnhilde stated. "He may not look it but that eccentric old man could kill anyone given enough cause. Add that to his possessive personality and I can assure you I wouldn't want to be the idiot stuck between him and the champion." She looked down at Bruce on those final words.

"Great," Bruce grumbled. "That's the last thing I need."

"Don't worry Banner," Thor exclaimed happily. "We'll get you off this planet in no time."

"What about Loki?" Bruce asked remembering that it was Loki that set all this agitation up to begin with. "Or are we just going to leave him here?"

"He's my brother," Thor replied. "I'm not leaving without him. I can go and look for him-" 

"No," Brunnhilde interrupted. "I can move freely throughout the palace without raising suspicion. I can find him and distract the Grandmaster while the two of you escape."

Bruce was now attempting to pull himself up off the floor but Tony's pants were making it harder than necessary to stand up. How the hell did Tony wear these things and managed to make it look so easy? Seeing him struggle, Brunnhilde leant down and grabbed him under the arms, hoisting him effortlessly up. 

"Once we're all in a safe location away from the Grandmaster's guards we can formulate a proper plan of escape," she stated. 

They all agreed it was a good idea, the three of them were strong, if it came to it they would be able to fight but the stealth approach was definitely the best option at the moment. With a promise to meet up with them soon at her apartment, Brunnhilde set off to search for Loki and attempt to draw the Grandmaster's attention away from the Hulk's absence, should he go in search of his champion. 

The two friends waited, giving the Brunnhilde a head start before leaving. Banner cast a glance around the room taking time to give the room he had called home one last goodbye. 

"Banner, can I ask you a question?" Thor asked.

"Hmm?" Bruce hummed, still lost in thought about the past. 

"You and Valkyrie," Thor began. 

Bruce's brow knitted at this. "Valkyrie?" He asked. Uncertain as to who Thor meant. 

"Her, your friend, Hulk's friend," he gestured to the Stark bag that lay discarded on the floor and the doorway which Brunnhilde had just left though. 

"Oh, Brunnhilde?" Bruce asked realising. 

"Okay, you know her actual name," Thor swallowed nervously. "Do you think that perhaps..." 

Bruce had never heard Thor so nervous in all the time he had known him. It suddenly dawned on him what it was his friend was trying to stammer out. Given the story Thor had just told him about Tony and the party he figured he owed his friend one. 

"I'll put in a good word for you," Bruce smirked. 

Thor nodded appreciatively clearly relieved he didn't have to say anything more. 

As Bruce looked around the room he felt a sadness creeping up on him but it wasn't his own, it was coming from the Hulk who, like always, was staying in the back of Bruce's mind. The Hulk had learnt long ago that he was not welcome in Banner's mind when Banner was in control, just as Banner had not been welcome when the Hulk was in control. Bruce realised how unfair this suddenly seemed, since being on Sakaar the Hulk had welcomed Banner's presence and the two had worked together effortlessly for close to two years, everything had gone wrong when Bruce had taken control and shut the Hulk out again. He hadn't even thought about it at the time, it had come so naturally to him, not sharing control. If he had just let the Hulk in they would have avoided everything that happened in the arena. Things could be different now, he didn't need to fear the Hulk taking over. Focusing as hard as he could he found where the Hulk was hiding and reached out to him. At first the Hulk was hesitant but with reassurance from Banner he accepted the invitation and emerged, sitting in Bruce's consciousness just as Bruce did when their roles were reversed. 

Bruce let out a gasp and stumbled, unfamiliar with the sensation, the Hulk attempted to back off but Bruce sent reassuring messages to him.

_It's okay. Stay. It's okay. We can do this._

Thor caught him by the arm before he could fall and looked Bruce concerned. But Bruce steadied himself and assured his friend he was fine. Looking around the room Bruce realized that he not only felt the sadness of leaving the place they had called home but also the relief that soon they would return to their other home, together.


	21. A Reason to Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“C’mon,” she grabbed his arm and began to drag him down the corridor with her. “We’ve got to get out of here.”_
> 
> _“And why would I want to do that?” Loki asked, pulling his arm free of her grip. “I think I’ll stay if it’s all the same to you.”_
> 
> _“I promised your brother I would bring you back to him and I intend to do so.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who may have missed it, I wrote a side fic including Tony and Peter Parker for Science Bros Week. You can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15402189). Its a short piece that I wrote to start establishing Peter withing this fic universe.

The plan was simple. Thor and Bruce were to stay back in the apartment and wait for her to cause a distraction once Loki had been secured. With the guard’s attention drawn away, Thor and Bruce would easily be able to slip out of the palace unnoticed. Then they would meet back at her apartment and figure out the best way to escape. She knew already it would include stealing a ship. With enough careful planning and stealth they would easily be able to steal a high-end model ship from the Grandmaster, the only hurdle would be getting the access codes. She might be able to think of a way to trick the Grandmaster into giving her one. 

Having seen the nature of the Loki's relationship with the Grandmaster she knew that her best bet of locating him would be the throne room or the personal quarters. 

Even though it was almost the afternoon there was barely anyone around; the festivities from the previous night had left all of the Grandmaster’s court hungover and exhausted. As the doors opened on the Grandmaster’s floor she could see only the aftermath of one of his celebrational _parties_. Moving with as much stealth as possible, so as not to wake the Grandmaster’s sleeping guests, she began searching the many bedrooms. Loki would surely be in one of them. 

After much futile searching she was about to give up hope. He must have left earlier this morning. As she turned to leave a sudden movement from behind alerted her to someone’s presence. She spun around but was too slow, Loki’s dagger already positioned inches from her throat as he grinned widely at her.

“Looking for me?” He whispered mockingly. 

“Take that dagger out of my face before I ram it down your throat.” She hissed, attempting to be quiet. 

“You really aren’t in a position to make demands,” he teased. “Besides, this is the second time I’ve caught you sneaking around. Give me a reason why I should listen to you.”

“Your brother sent me.”

“Oh? And what trouble has my dear brother found himself in that he would send a scrapper to do his bidding?” 

“I’m not doing his _bidding_ ,” she replied defensively, finally pushing his dagger away. “He’s leaving Sakaar, but not without you.”

“Why didn’t he come and tell me that himself? Let me guess... “ Loki smirked, a burning excitement in his eyes. “He doesn’t want to leave the beast unattended?”

“If you’re referring to-” she began in an angered whisper but was interrupted as the palace alarms began to sound. 

She shot a look at Loki but he looked just as startled as she did. His expression quickly changed back to that of excitement. “Speaking of,” he chuckled. 

Around them party guests were stirring and emerging from their sleeping places, clearly concerned about the sounding alarm.

Brunnhilde ran for the door, looking anxiously down the corridor as guards ran past. 

“There's been a breach!” A commander yelled, to the other guards. “Everyone move to secure the perimeter, the Champion has been kidnapped!” 

Brunhilde’s faced dropped. “Are those two completely incapable of being left alone?” She hissed. “So much for the plan.”

“You obviously don’t know my brother very well then?” Loki interjected. “I would say this is pretty standard for him.” He moved to her side so that he could observe the chaos. 

“C’mon,” she grabbed his arm and began to drag him down the corridor with her. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

“And why would I want to do that?” Loki asked, pulling his arm free of her grip. “I think I’ll stay if it’s all the same to you.” 

“I promised your brother I would bring you back to him and I intend to do so.”

“You know, I think the Grandmaster would be very interested to hear that you’re working with Thor. Especially if what the guards said is true and he has _kidnapped_ the Champion. Imagine how much more favour I could win by handing you over.” He was slowly approaching her now and she took several steps back.

“You’d stoop so low as to betray your own brother and his friends?” She asked, keeping her gaze fixed on his hand that she knew would soon reach for a weapon.

“Trust me I’ve done worse.” He lashed out, dagger drawn and moving quickly to strike her. 

She was ready for him, sending a flurry of blows one after another to knock him off balance. As he stumbled back she grinned smugly and shrugged. The sound of a large explosion erupted from somewhere outside the palace. She allowed herself to become distracted by it instead of pressing her advantage. 

As Loki regained his composure he looked at her. “Do you hear that? I bet that wasn’t part of your plan either,” he laughed. “They always do this, make things harder for other people. Too swept up in their own self importance.”

Rather than justify him with a reply she lashed out at him again, her own dagger drawn. He matched her blow for blow, more evenly than she would have liked. 

“Why do you want to help them anyway? Why not help me instead? With your planetary knowledge and my influence we could achieve so much.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” she snapped, striking at him. She wasn’t looking to inflict any lasting harm on him, just overpower or incapacitate. She would drag him back to the others if she had to. 

As she sent a flurry of attacks at him, he caught her arm, and exposed her wrist. Her Valkyrie tattoo could clearly be seen and she felt his grip loosen on her as he stared down at it.

“You’re a Valkyrie?” He asked, surprised but clearly impressed. 

Hearing the word caused a surge of anger to flow through her and she used his momentary lapse in concentration, slipping from his grip and unleashing another series of blows. They struggled together, both lashing out and dodging each other’s attacks until a solid kick from her sent him flying into a nearby wall. 

As he regained composure his face wasn’t one of anger or hatred. He simply grinned, taunting her. “I thought the Valkyrie had all died gruesome deaths.”

“Choose your next words wisely” she warned, finding her own voice much deeper than when she normally spoke. The memories were coming back, surging to the forefront of her mind. 

_No, not now._ She couldn’t deal with this now. She had to find Bruce, had to get him off this planet. Stick to the plan, not let herself fall into this hole that was threatening to swallow her.

“I’m terribly sorry, that must be a very painful memory,”

His hand shot up quicker than she could block. 

 

***

The war horns had sounded, every member of the Valkyrie were adorning armour, and selecting weapons in preparation for battle. Hela was attempting to escape banishment and reclaim Asgard. 

Odin had warned her to be ready for this, she had taken his advice and trained diligently everyday with her warriors. Hela was a fierce opponent but together they would stand a chance of sending her back to hell where she belonged. 

Entering into the barrack’s yard she could see the stable master lining up Aragorns ready to be mounted.

Her gaze fixed on Sigrún, as beautiful as ever, standing with her forehead resting against her Aragorn and whispering into its ear as her hand stroked his face. What had she done to deserve such an amazing person in her life. So gentle and kind but fearless and wild on the battlefield. Riding into battle against Hela would be the hardest thing they would ever do together. 

“I like to calm him, before battle,” Sigrún said, noticing that Brunnhilde was now by her side. “That way when we ride together he knows there is no reason to be afraid.”

“This isn’t a game, Sigrún,” Brunnhilde warned. 

“I know, that. But I also know that when we ride together there is nothing that will defeat us.” She turned to smile at Brunnhilde. 

“You always were the optimistic one,” she responded. 

“I need enough for both of us.” Sigrún lent forward and placed a simple kiss on her lips. Breaking apart, Sigrun pulled herself up onto her Aragorn’s back. “Come Brunnhilde, they will sing songs of our victory tonight.”

The horse beat its wings and after a short gallop across the yard, took off into the sky to join the other Valkyrior. 

Brunnhilde watched as Sigrún soared high above to join their sisters. She promised herself that she would not allow any harm to come to her companion. Shouting at the other Valkyrior to hurry up she mounted her own steed and braced herself as it took off into the sky.

Across Asgard they soared towards the edges of their realm where Hela was attempting to break through. Together they descended below the clouds and suddenly the golden sky was replaced with the dark shadow cast by Hela’s presence. 

Trumpets sounded as a warning when the scouts caught a glimpse of their opponent ascending from the depths. The sound was cut short however as Hela’s Necroswords soared through the air straight into the chest of a scout. 

She watched as her first fallen sister fell lifeless from the sky but her focus was drawn back towards Hela who had now sent a onslaught of Necroswords towards the swarming Valkyrior. Her Aragorn weaved and dodged the oncoming attack but Brunnhilde could see that some of her other sisters were not as lucky. More and more of them were falling from the sky and she could hear their screams and the horrible clang of their armor against the hard ground beneath them. 

A Necrosword clipped the wing of her Aragorn and she heard it cry out in pain as they began to fall from the sky. Losing her grip on the creature’s back she slipped and was now falling. With a heavy thud she hit the ground and let out a cry of pain. Taking a moment to pull herself back up she suddenly gasped at the sight that greeted her. Scattered across the ground were the fallen bodies of her Valkyrior sisters, lifeless and silent as the battle rage around them. 

Unsheathing Dragonfang from her belt, Brunnhilde turned to where she could see Hela, still unleashing her brutal attack against the Valkyrior still in the sky. Without a moment’s hesitation, without any sense of fear, she began to run towards her enemy. She would end it, put down the monster and return home to Asgard with her surviving sisters and honor those who had fallen. 

As she drew closer someone caught her eye, Sigrún, sword also drawn and moving towards Hela. 

“Sigrún, NO!” Brunnhilde screamed but it was clear she could not be heard over the sounds of the battle. As hard as it was to lose her Valkyrior sisters she knew she would not survive the loss of Sigrún. 

Someone had heard the her scream, but it was not Sigrún. Hela turned towards her, a wicked grin on her face. Brunnhilde cursed herself inside, she had drawn attention to herself by calling Sigrún’s name. She had revealed a moment of emotional vulnerability, and now it would be used against her. 

Hela hurled one of her Necroswords, but not at Sigrún, but directly towards Brunnhilde. It was travelling towards her fast but Brunnhilde didn’t care, all she wanted was to put an end to this fight, to strike Hela down. 

Then Sigrún was there, pushing her out of the way of the Necrosword’s path before Brunnhilde had time to stop her. Falling backwards Brunnhilde watched as the Necrosword found its way straight through Sigrún’s chest, the sound of steel piercing armor and flesh filling the air. 

Shock gripped Brunnhilde and she couldn’t even scream out in anguish, managing only to try and reach out for her fallen lover in the last moment that their eyes met. 

Hitting the ground she rolled and felt herself lying against another body. Her mind had gone blank, she couldn’t think of what she was supposed to do next. The fire inside her had burnt out and the world suddenly feeling very dark and cold. 

Sigrún’s body lay lifeless in front of her. Brunnhilde lay motionless amongst the fallen Valkyrior, unable to move or even think. Her sisters had fallen, and Sigrun, poor Sigrún who had given her life to protect her. She needed to go to her, hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but she couldn’t move. The shock was still gripping her body, Hela was unlike anything they had faced before, a living nightmare, there was nothing she would be able to do to stop her. Perhaps if she lay here motionless she would join her sisters in death, why should she survive while the others died? She could take dragonfang and have one last attempt at putting Hela down, revenge for all her sisters. It would be certain death but she didn’t care anymore. 

But as she continued to stare at Sigrún’s lifeless eyes, she couldn’t do it. She had lived her life training and preparing for war, but what had it brought her? Nothing, only pain.

So she ran. 

 

***

Back in the present, she was on her hands and knees, breathing heavily as if she had just re-lived every moment of the painful memory. She had never looked back, never confronted what had happened that day, drunk to forget, but here it was again. 

It was time. Time to stop running.


	22. Alive Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Are you okay?" Thor asked in a whisper, clearly concerned. Bruce didn't understand why his friend was concerned, he felt better than ever._
> 
>  
> 
> _"Why are you whispering?" Bruce asked without even attempting to lower his voice._
> 
>  
> 
> _"Because!" Thor replied in a loud angry whisper before looking over his shoulder. "We're running from the guards."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm really happy with this chapter, I hope you all enjoy it too. Just a lot of action and fun for these guys and a real turning point in Bruce's character!

Brunnhilde left Thor and Bruce in the Hulk's apartment and told them to wait for her signal. Once the guards were distracted they would sneak out of the palace unnoticed and meet back at her place. Several minutes had passed since she left and it was clear that Thor was becoming impatient. 

"Why do we have to wait?" Thor asked.

"Because this place is crawling with guards," Bruce explained. Bruce was getting use to feeling of the Hulk sharing his experiences. It felt weird to have a secondary emotion radiate from the back of his mind that wasn't anger. Looking around at the apartment he was happy to be leaving, but he could feel a smaller sensation of sadness that they would be leaving the place they had called home for so long. The mix of emotions gave Bruce a weird sense of melancholy. He was so distracted by the sensation that he hadn't noticed that Thor had left the apartment and was making his way down the corridor. 

"Uh, Thor, I think we should stick to the plan," Bruce called out, turning his full attention to Thor.

"Come on Banner, where's your sense of adventure?" Thor asked, turning back to throw a grin at Bruce.

Giving the apartment one last look, Bruce sighed and jogged after his friend. "I've been stuck on this alien planet for two years, don't talk to me about lack of adventure," Bruce huffed as he reached Thor's side.

"You worry too much," Thor stated continuing down the corridor. 

Bruce knew they should be staying in the apartment as Brunnhilde instructed but there was an excitement and curiosity radiating off the Hulk that he couldn’t help but be swept up in. How often would it be that he would find himself on an alien planet with Thor, a chance for adventure at their fingertips.

They stuck their head around the corner and Bruce's stomach instantly dropped. A patrol led by Topaz was headed straight for them. They both threw themselves back against the wall and froze. 

"Did they see us?" Bruce asked, his heart beginning to pound.

Sudden shouts coming from down the corridor told him that they had. 

"Run!" Thor said running back down the corridor towards the apartment, an obvious hint of excitement was in his voice. 

"Where do you think we are running to?!" Bruce asked as they entered his apartment. "This is a dead end!" 

"There's always a way," Thor stated. "Quick, get on my back!"

"What?" Bruce was hesitant at first but the excitement that was radiating off the Hulk in his mind was overwhelming. _Do it_ , he could feel the Hulk saying to him. It was a weird sensation to feel anything but anger coming from the Hulk so strongly.

Wasting no more time he climbed onto Thor's back with barely any time to grip his hands around Thor's neck before Thor dove at the window. Glass shattered all around them and the rushing wind made his jacket flap around. 

Bruce screamed as they sailed through the air until Thor hit the adjacent building and pushed them back through the air. They continued their descent, Bruce clutching as tight as possible to Thor but another impact against a rooftop was so hard that Bruce lost his grip on Thor and slipped. Hitting the slope alongside his friend the two of them slid down to the junkyard below. His fall was cushioned by a discarded mattress that sat nestled between other pieces of junk in the palace courtyard. 

The Hulk was praising him, excited at the rush they had just experienced. Bruce's heart was pumping and he didn't feel scared or paranoid like he normally would in such a situation. Instead he felt exhilaration and excitement.

Pulling himself out of the junk pile he looked over to see Thor also getting to his feet. 

"That was incredible!" Bruce yelled. 

"See, nothing wrong with deviating from the plan," Thor responded with a wicked grin.

They could hear a siren and more yelling now and Bruce knew there was no way that their escape would go unnoticed. From around a corner a guard appeared, rifle in hand. As soon as he spotted Bruce he began to fire. Luckily there was plenty of scrap for Bruce to take cover behind. 

As he crouched behind some sheet metal he found that despite everything that was happening he couldn't help but laugh. 

"Thor, look at me!" Bruce exclaimed happily to his friend who was also crouching behind cover. "They're shooting at me and I'm not even worried about transforming!"

"As humorous as you find being shot at Banner," Thor stated, "I think we should get out of here." He was looking around for the best escape route. 

"This way," Bruce yelled as he moved from behind his hiding place, "The Quinjet is just over here!" 

"The Quinjet, perfect!"

Bruce led Thor through the numerous piles of discarded scrap to where he knew the Quinjet sat, still undisturbed amongst the other junk. Taking a turn he saw it, sitting at the other end of the yard. All they had to do was make it across the clearing to where the jet sat and they would be able to get inside. Thor seized the remains of a worn out refrigerator and sent it sailing through the air towards the pursuing guards, hoping to buy them time.

"Run!!" Thor commanded. They would have valuable seconds while the guards took cover from Thor's distraction in which to get across to the jet.

Halfway across the yard Bruce felt a shot form the guard's rifle soar close to his head.  
Bruce ducked as he heard the guards continue to send a barrage of fire at them. He had to avoid being hit, he didn't want another Hulk out here. Not where the guards would be able to see. The current location of the Hulk would still be a mystery to them and Bruce wanted to keep it that way. His legs continued to carry him closer and closer to the jet and he could see now that every shot that narrowly missed him instead was hitting the Quinjet. Looking up he could see that they had already put several holes in the hull with their weapons. More shots rang overheard and Bruce now wondered if it was in the Quinjet the guards were aiming for, realising that was where Bruce and Thor were attempting to reach. 

Realising this, Bruce dived sideways, pushing Thor behind more cover and scrambling behind it himself. 

"Banner, what are you-?" Thor tried to ask but the explosion that erupted from the Quinjet answered his question. The two stared open mouthed as the Quinjet engines erupted under the barrage of attacks from the guards weapons.

"No!" Bruce yelled as he watched the Quinjet explode. Shielding his eyes as hot metal and shrapnel flew through the air and landed around them. Thor rolled protectively on top of him to help shield Bruce from anything that may erupt their way. A piece of the ship emblazoned with the Stark logo embedded itself into the dirt near the two of them. All around them the other piles of junk began to smoke and ignite as a result of the Quinjet's explosion.

Thor reached out and grabbed Bruce's arm, pulling him to his feet. "We need to get out of here, _now_!"

"Quick, through here!" Bruce yelled leading Thor towards the hole in the wall he had once escaped out of. The thick smoke coming from the ignited junk provided them with the cover they needed to slip away. Pulling himself through the hole in the palace wall Bruce could see the familiar marketplace and the busy streets full of Sakaarians. Some of the people had stopped and were pointing at the smoke. Thor attempted to grab him by the elbow but Bruce was too excited to pay attention.

"Whew!" Bruce exclaimed, feeling the adrenaline of their escape still coursing through his body. The Hulk was continuing to send waves of excitement through him. Bruce was not used to feeling this much adrenaline and not transforming, it felt like he was awake after sleeping for so many years. Running his hands through his hair repeatedly he tried to calm himself down. Turning to Thor he could see his friend clearly didn't know what to make of his elevated state. 

"Sun's going down?" Thor asked, clearly not sure if that was the support Bruce needed right now. 

"There's no need for that," Bruce assured him. "The sun is up my friend. It is up and staying up!" 

They were interrupted, as suddenly overhead a large projection of the Grandmaster appeared in the sky.

"My loyal Sakaarians, I have bad, bad news for you all," the projection boomed over the city. The two of them looked up, craning their necks to see the Grandmaster. "Sakaar, hear ye. Attention please, pets. I have some, uh, bad news. My beloved, exalted champion has turned up missing."

A collective gasped came from the people surrounding them in the streets, who Bruce now noticed had all stopped to watch the Grandmaster's announcement. He felt a wave of happiness radiate from inside at hearing the concern come from the people around him. 

“He has been, _seduced_ and kidnapped by that scandalous god of thunder!”

“ _Seduced?_ ” Thor choked as Bruce laughed.

"Take to the streets!" the Grandmaster's projection commanded. "Celebrate my champion, remind him why he should return to me!"

All around them people dropped what they were doing and began to run around frantically.  
Bruce let out a shout of excitement at seeing everyone so excited to celebrate the Hulk that he forgot that he was the one who was supposed to be hiding. Thor had to shush him as he nervously looked around at the Sakaarians surrounding them. Clearly he didn't want Banner drawing unwanted attention now that everyone was on high alert. Using the distraction caused by the Grandmaster to his advantage Thor pulled Bruce into a nearby alleyway. 

"Are you okay?" Thor asked in a whisper, clearly concerned. Bruce didn't understand why his friend was concerned, he felt better than ever.

"Why are you whispering?" Bruce asked without even attempting to lower his voice.

"Because!" Thor replied in a loud angry whisper before looking over his shoulder. "We're running from the guards."

Bruce waved his hand, dismissing Thor's concern. This new rush of excitement felt good, he normally would have been terrified at the idea of being stuck on an alien planet being chased by guards but it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "You're the one didn't stick to the plan!" Bruce teased.

"Your’re not even worried?" Thor asked, raising an eyebrow, his expression changing.

Bruce shrugged and saw that it made Thor visibly relax. 

"I have to say Banner, this new you," he approached Bruce with a wide grin, "I like him." 

"Yeah, I think I do too," Bruce admitted, beaming back at his friend. He felt a swell of pride come from the Hulk inside of him. 

"So if I said I need your help to return to my homeland, defeat my evil sister and restore peace to the people of Asgard, what would you say?" 

Bruce suddenly felt a flash of guilt. The entire time Thor had been here he hadn't thought to ask what had been the purpose of his visit. Now that Bruce looked closer he could see the hurt in Thor's eyes. Something was troubling his friend and he had been too caught in his own problems to even consider that his friend might need him. 

"Thor, what happened?" 

He listened as Thor informed him of Odin's death and of Hela's return and the destruction she brought with her. He described how easily she had shattered Mjolnir and how he feared for the lives of all those innocent people left on Asgard. As Thor finished the story, Bruce reached out and placed his hand on Thor's forearm. 

"Thor," Bruce began, as sincere as he could manage. "You have the most messed up siblings." He had intended it as a joke and he was happy to see that Thor had taken it that way, laughing loudly as Bruce grinned at him. 

Thor brought his hand down heavily on Bruce's shoulder as his laughter died. "So you'll help me?"

"You don't even have to ask, we're here for you, me and the Hulk." 

Thor beamed at him and pulled Bruce into a crushing hug. Bruce wrapped his arms tight around his friend, after everything Thor had just done for him how could he ever possibly refuse his friend.

Releasing Bruce from his grip, Thor moved across to a pile of rags and cloths that were scattered in the alleyway. Taking one, he draped it over his shoulders and pulled part of it over his head.  
"Uh, what are you doing with that?" Bruce asked, resisting the urge to tell Thor how ridiculous he looked. 

"I need a disguise," Thor explained, holding up the cloth to show that it would be used to hide part of his face. "I’m your kidnapper, remember?"

"What about me?" Bruce asked. "I need a disguise too." Noticing a pair of Tony's sunglasses tucked in the jacket pocket, Bruce pulled them out and put them on. He was pleased by the excitement the Hulk felt at the idea of such a playful game. Bruce was finding more and more joy in acting in ways that made the Hulk happy, the second hand emotions he received as a result not only made him feel a bolstered emotional effect but also reassured how strong their new connection was.

"You don't need a disguise. _You_ are the disguise. They're looking for the Hulk, not Banner." 

"Some of the guards saw me in the yard with you," Bruce stated. "So, I'll be Tony Stark," he said with a laugh, gripping the rim of the sunglasses between his thumb and forefinger and flashing his best 'Tony Stark' smile.

"What?" Thor asked, clearly confused. 

Bruce wasn't listening anymore, he was thinking about what Tony would think about him in this outfit. It was so different from the modest shirt and slacks that he would normally wear, he wondered if Tony would appreciate Bruce stealing his look. 

"This is ridiculous, let's get moving," Thor said, pulling Banner out of his daydream. Together they moved towards the other end of the alleyway. "All we have to do is stay low and quickly make our way towards the meeting point without drawing any more attention to ourselves."  
As they stepped out into the crowded street it quickly became clear how hard a task that would be. The streets were full of people doing exactly as the Grandmaster had commanded and were celebrating the Hulk. Large green flags were being waved, music was playing, and giant sculptures and paintings of the Hulk were being held aloft by a procession of people as they danced through the streets.

All around them cheers of _"Hulk, Hulk, Hulk!"_ filled the air.

A cloud of green paint dust erupted around them as several revelers attempted to cover everything they could in the green pigment. Bruce stood, covered head to toe in the green powder, removing his glasses in order to clean it off the lenses. 

"Okay, stay calm Banner," Thor said calmly, putting a reassuring hand on his friend's back. "Don't get caught up in-" 

But it was too late, Bruce slipped away from his friends side and made his way into the crowded festivities. Inside of him the Hulk was erupting with happiness at the sight of all these people celebrating him. Bruce felt caught up in it all, he had never seen people so in love with the Hulk. All around were crudely made Hulk hands and heads that despite their appearance, had clearly been made with love. People were painting one another green and adorning themselves with green garments and jewellery. 

A woman was handing out strings of bright green beads and Bruce stopped in front of her allowing some to be slipped over his neck. Next he was pulled over towards some body painters who without hesitation began to paint intricate green lines on his face. Was this what it felt like to be celebrated? Was this what it was like for Tony when people lined up for hours in an attempt to get even a tiny glimpse of him? Was this what it was like for Steve when children saw his bold outfit and everything it stood for? 

The Hulk was sending wave after wave of excitement and happiness at Bruce and part of them both wanted to transform just to see how happy it would make the people around them. Bruce kept hold of his control though. Everything they had been working for would mean nothing now if they were captured. Instead Bruce allowed himself to be pulled through the crowd and join in their celebrations of all things Hulk. 

He was vaguely aware of Thor calling his name from somewhere nearby but he was too caught up in the celebrations to do anything about it. Bruce was dancing around with some other revelers that he didn't realise how close he was to someone behind him when he bumped into them. 

"Sorry," he apologized, turning to look at the person only to realise it was Brunnhilde, a stern frown on her face. 

It was at the point that Thor finally caught up with him and gripped his arm tightly presumably to stop them from becoming separated again. 

"Banner, there you are-" Thor began but stopped when he saw Brunnhilde standing across from them, arms placed firmly on her hips with the disapproving expression. 

Bruce attempted a coy smile but when her expression didn't change he gave up nodded in understanding. She had risked so much for him and he was doing a lousy job at cooperating.  
Finally her expression softened and she looked at Thor.

"What is that?" She asked, pointing at cloth wrapped around his head. 

"It's my disguise," Thor responded trying to sound proud but clearly he was nervous.

"But I can see your face," she responded, lifting an eyebrow. Bruce had to agree with her, it was a lousy disguise and did nothing to hide his identity.

"Not if I do this, you can't." Thor pulled the cloth up so that it completely masked his face. Bruce looked awkwardly between Thor and Brunnhilde, as they both remained in silence. "I like your hair," Thor finally attempted in order to break the tense silence. 

Brunnhilde simply rolled her eyes and turned around and began to walk away, leaving Thor to stammer out more compliments as he trailed after her. Bruce had never seen Thor like this before, he had heard him talk about Jane but had never seen them together. It was weird to see Thor in such a nervous state considering how he usually gave off such a confident aura. 

He felt slightly closer to Thor, seeing him vulnerable like this was not something he was used to seeing and it made him feel good that Thor was comfortable letting his guard down around him. He supposed after the episode he had just experienced in the apartment in which Bruce himself had been so vulnerable it made sense that Thor and him were closer than before. Bruce felt a wave of excitement from the Hulk at the prospect of being closer friends with Thor. 

Trailing after his two friends they made their way out of the crowded streets and closer to Brunnhilde's apartment. Bruce examined the green beads around his neck, they weren't particularly well made or noteworthy but he liked them. He ran his fingers over them and enjoyed the second hand pride that came from the Hulk within. He was starting to get used to this secondary emotions he was receiving from his counterpart. 

Sneakily, Bruce moved up behind Thor and reached up, snatching Thor's disguise off of his head, before Thor could react.

"Banner, I need that!" Thor protested, attempting to grab the fabric back as Bruce used it to wipe the green paint off of his face. 

"Accept it, Thor" Bruce stated, holding the cloth out of Thor's reach and wiping the paint away. "It's a terrible disguise." 

"It really is," Brunnhilde stated without looking back at them. Bruce noticed the small flash of disappointment on Thor's face. Bruce chuckled to himself at seeing Thor so smitten. Thor threw a dirty look sideways at Bruce but smiled afterwards and attempted to once again to playfully grab at the disguise. 

The two of them laughed together as they took a moment to simply enjoy each others company and not worry about the fact that they were on the run or planning a daring escape from a tyrannical dictator. Ahead of them Brunnhilde was shaking her head at how ridiculous both he and Thor were being but Bruce was sure that if they could see her face they would see a smile. 

"Did you have any luck finding Loki?" Thor asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, he didn't come quietly but I managed to... _persuade_ him," she replied.  
"I hope he didn't make it too difficult on you," Thor began but both he and Bruce we caught off guard as she suddenly spun around, a fierce look in her eye. They stopped in their tracks and saw the serious look on her face.

"I spent years in a haze, trying to forget my past. Sakaar was the best place to drink, forget and then one day die," she gushed. It was as if something inside of her had been let loose. Everything she had been holding back from Bruce since they had met was suddenly revealing itself. 

Taken aback by her sudden forwardness Bruce shot a glance sideways at Thor who appeared just as confused. Bruce had always knew there was something lurking beneath Brunnhilde's surface but understanding her desire to leave it buried there he had never asked about it. He knew that one day he would ask her about it but for some reason she was deciding to open up about it now.

"Yeah, well if you continue to drink the way you do that might kill you-" Thor began but was cut off.

"I don't plan to stop drinking but I don't want to forget," She stated, matter of fact. "So if I'm going to die, it may as well be driving my sword through the heart of that murderous bitch."

"Good!" Thor exclaimed, suddenly excited.

"You're coming with us?" Bruce asked, realising that if Brunnhilde intended to fight Hela then it meant she would be leaving Sakaar with them. The Hulk was overjoyed and it must have shown on Bruce's face. 

"Of course," she stated, grinning as she stepped forward and put her arm around him. "Someone needs to look after you, and I don't trust this one to do it." She gestured to Thor and winked at Bruce. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Thor asked, throwing his hands up. "I look after Banner just fine." 

"Oh really?" Brunnhilde asked, raising an eyebrow. "I left the two of you alone for five minutes and you already have the entire city on high alert."

"Yeah, well, it would be too boring otherwise," Thor mumbled.

"Mhmm," Brunnhilde hummed, releasing Bruce. "Now you mentioned before that you were putting together a team. I want in. Has it got a name?"

"Uh, yeah" Thor stammered, clearly caught off guard. Thor looked down at Bruce, and Bruce could tell that Thor had no idea what he was supposed to say. Bruce looked helplessly back at him also trying to come up with something other than _Avengers_. It was clear Avengers was all that Thor could think of too and was desperately trying to get past it to think of something else. 

"It's called the _Re_ -vengers," Thor finally managed to spit out. It wasn't perfect but given the accepting shrug Brunnhilde gave it wasn't the worst he could have come up with. Bruce wanted to laugh at how unoriginal the name was but he didn't want to give Thor a hard time. "Because, I'm getting revenge," Thor blurted out, trying to justify his terrible name. "You're getting revenge," he added and Brunnhilde nodded in agreement. "And Banner, do you want revenge?" Thor asked turning to him. 

"Uh," Bruce replied. He had never even met Hela, all he wanted to do was go home. 

"He's never even met Hela," Brunnhilde interjected, a confused look aimed at Thor. "Why would he want revenge?" 

"She hurt both of you," Bruce stated, attempting to save Thor from having to come up with something. "You two are my friends, so I'm helping you get revenge." 

"That's the spirit!" Thor exclaimed, placing his large hand on Bruce's shoulder.

Brunnhilde shook her head, turning away and once again striding ahead of them, leaving Thor and Bruce to follow behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like my take on 'the new and improved' Bruce. As always, I'm working on strengthening his and the Hulk's relationship.


	23. A Revolution!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"We need to draw the guards away from the hangar,” Brunnhilde stated. "And this time we'll stick to the plan." She shot a glare at Thor who nodded in agreement._
> 
> _“I know just the thing, we’re going to start a revolution,” Thor stated._

Entering Brunnhilde's apartment, they were greeted by Loki, tied up and looking miserable in the corner.

Loki's cold eyes fixed on Bruce and he saw the small grin appear on Loki’s face. The Hulk flared with anger inside at mere sight of Loki but made no attempt to take control away from Bruce. 

“Hello Bruce,” Loki said, a mischievous tone in his voice.

“Hello Loki, still trying to kill everyone?” Bruce asked. He wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t afraid or intimidated by him anymore. The two of them had an _odd_ history to say the least. Although they had never directly interacted, Bruce was aware of Loki’s obsession with the Hulk. 

“It varies from moment to moment,” Loki replied coldly, his eyes fixed on Bruce’s. “Nice necklace.”

Bruce looked down to see the beads that still hung around his neck from the marketplace. Intricately designed and bright green they were so beautiful that Bruce hadn’t wanted to get rid of them so he had decided to keep them, perhaps even take them home as a memento. 

“Thanks,” Bruce replied firmly, looking back into Loki’s eyes. “My fans gave them to me.” 

“I’m glad I’m no longer the only one who recognizes the beautiful chaos the beast leaves in his wake,” Loki replied, a small smile on his lips. 

It made the Hulk incredibly uneasy holding eye contact with Loki so Bruce simply gave one last nod before turning away. Looking around the rest of the apartment Bruce could see that it hadn't changed at all since has was last here, but he supposed that was several years ago now. Empty bottles were strewn around the room, the walls and floor were stained and it was clear Brunnhilde hadn’t bothered with general upkeep at all. 

In the kitchen area, he could see what he assumed was the equivalent of a fruit bowl. Suddenly aware of how hungry he really was he began to help himself. After years of consuming Sakarrian food as the Hulk, he found that the taste was familiar and he instinctively picked out the piece he knew was his favorite. As he bit into the soft flesh of the fruit he was greeted with a pleasant taste. 

Thor and Brunnhilde were discussing the best way to escape but Bruce was barely listening. Between his preoccupation with the food and the memories of his encounters with Loki in Manhattan he was in a world of his own. 

"We're going through the big one!" Thor stated boldly, pointing at the huge wormhole outside the city.

"The Devil's Anus?" Brunnhilde asked skeptically.

Bruce nearly choked on what he was eating. "Whose anus are we going through?" He asked, mouth still full of food. Juice was running down his chin now and he had to wipe it off with the cuff of Tony’s jacket.

"I didn't know it was called that when I was told to go through it," Thor admitted.

"Told to go through it?" Brunnhilde asked. "By who?"

"Heimdall," Thor replied with a big grin.

Bruce noticed a flicker of recognition on Brunnhilde's face. 

"That is a collapsing neutron star inside an Einstein-Rosen Bridge,” Bruce explained. "Highly unstable, not to mention its been there since before I arrived." It was a beautiful thing to look at but Bruce held no illusions about how dangerous it was. 

"Agreed. We wouldn't be able to use my ship to escape then, it would rip it apart," Brunnhilde stated, moving to stand next to Bruce. 

"Right, we'd need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity." Thor said.

Bruce looked at Thor, aware that his mouth was hanging open. "Wait, since when have you been an expert on interspace travel and quantum physics?"

"Well you never asked me. Plus you and Stark always handle that stuff, you don't want me getting in the way," Thor replied happily.

Bruce nodded and decided to let it go. "We'll also need a power steering system that could also function without the on-board computer in case all of our systems get shut down due to the interference.” That was something he had picked up from Tony when the two of them had been working together on the Hulkbuster. 

Bruce, Brunnhilde and Thor looked at one another, the energy in the room beginning to build as they all had the same thought. 

"We need a ship!" They chimed in unison. Suddenly the three of them were buzzing. It was happening, a daring escape from right under the nose of the Grandmaster. Finally, Bruce was getting off this planet. 

"There are one or two ships, absolute top-of-the-line models that we can--" Brunnhilde began.

“I don’t mean to impose,” came Loki’s somber voice from the other side of the room. 

Before Bruce could give his full attention to Loki, Brunnhilde had launched her bottle across the room so it smashed against the wall, narrowly missing Loki’s head. She was breathing heavily, like even hearing Loki’s voice was making her angry. 

“Woah,” Bruce exclaimed, his hand shooting to her arm to calm her but Thor and Loki looked as if nothing had even happened. Bruce had never been in a room with this many Asgardians before. He wasn’t sure if this was normal or if she was genuinely upset. 

“But,” Loki continued, “the Grandmaster has a great many ships. I may even have stolen the access codes to his security system.”

“Oh, that’s what you were doing in the Grandmaster’s bed,” Brunnhilde stated sarcastically. “Stealing access codes.”

Thor turned to her, looking confused and slightly shocked by what she had just said. 

“Who's to say you won’t sell us out and go crawling back to him the first chance you get?” She asked, eyebrow raised suspiciously. 

“What?” Thor asked, looking between the two of them. 

“Well, thanks to the actions of my dear brother and the two of you,” Loki replied, looking between the three of them, “I have run out of favor with the Grandmaster. So I want to trade the codes for safe passage, through the anus.” 

“You and the Grandmaster?” Thor asked, still clearly in shock at this revelation. 

“Oh, don’t be so naive brother,” Loki stated looking away from them. 

Bruce was skeptical about how much trust they could place in Loki. Brunnhilde and Thor shared his feelings, Thor even telling them a story about their childhood involving Loki stabbing him after disguising himself as a snake. It was decided however that their best chance of escaping was with Loki’s help regardless of how untrustworthy he was. 

"We need to draw the guards away from the hangar,” Brunnhilde stated. "And this time we'll stick to the plan." She shot a glare at Thor who nodded in agreement. 

“I know just the thing, we’re going to start a revolution,” Thor stated, tearing his gaze away from Loki as a grin appeared on his face. 

“A revolution?” Brunnhilde asked. 

“Yes, there are plenty of people on this planet who hate the Grandmaster. It will be easy enough to get them on our side,” Thor explained.

“The other gladiators.” Brunnhilde whispered quietly. Realization dawning on her face. 

“How many are there?” Bruce asked. Bruce had never met any of the other gladiators and the Hulk had minimal interactions with them. The Hulk was the Champion and therefore treated to the finer things Sakaar had to offer, and segregated from the others, he was unsure how the other gladiators were treated. 

“Enough,” Valkyrie replied with a nod.

“I met some of them while I was locked away before our fight. Nice guys,” Thor said with a smile. 

Bruce winced at hearing that Thor had been held prisoner because of his selfish actions. He would need to make it up to Thor somehow. 

“Would they fight for us?” Bruce asked, resisting the urge to apologize to Thor again. 

“A chance to get revenge on the Grandmaster? No question.” Brunnhilde stated. “But they’re not the most intelligent bunch.” 

“Don’t worry, I know just the guy,” Thor grinned. 

It was decided that Bruce and Brunnhilde would free the gladiators while Thor took Loki to help acquire one of the Grandmaster’s ships. Then they would meet up in the wastes and escape through the anus together. 

“Right, once we’re inside, we’ll have to deactivate the arena’s obedience disk mainframe,” Brunnhilde explained. “Then all of the other gladiators will be able to escape. We’ll have to be quick though, once the mainframe is deactivated Topaz will be alerted in the palace.” 

Getting into the arena was easy part. They had both been there countless times and there were less guards around since they had all be sent out to scour the city and wastes for the missing Champion. It was clear that the Grandmaster was sparing no effort to retrieve the Hulk. Bruce could feel the Hulk stirring as he realized how desperately the Grandmaster wanted him back by his side but Bruce had to keep reminding him that it was only the Hulk’s strength and compliance that the Grandmaster wanted. He didn’t actually _care_ about the Hulk. 

Together Bruce and Brunnhilde made their way through the underground corridors of the arena, until they reached a corridor with a door that was still under guard. 

“That’s the arena’s mainframe room,” Brunnhilde stated, peeking around the corner. 

“How do we get past the guard?” Bruce asked. Every moment was going to be crucial, they couldn’t risk him raising the alarm before they had freed the other gladiators. 

“Follow my lead,” Brunnhilde whispered before stepping out into the corridor and addressing the guard. Perhaps she was going to lie, think of something to send the guard away, relieve him of duty or tell him he was needed to by Topaz.

As she approached, Bruce did his best to act natural but the large rifle that the guard carried made him uneasy. He did his best to look serious and like he belonged here so the guard wouldn’t suspect anything. 

As they approached the guard began to speak but before he could even get a word out Brunnhilde’s hand shot up and grabbed his head, slamming it against the wall and causing him to slump to the ground. 

“Get inside”, she ordered, leaning down to pick up the body. “And take this.” She handed him the rifle and Bruce let out a laugh as he held the door open so she could drag the man inside behind them. 

“I was expecting something a bit more sophisticated than that.”

“Whatever works,” she replied with a shrug.

Inside was row upon row of brightly colored server racks all hooked up together to create the mainframe. It wasn’t dissimilar to Stark Tower’s mainframe, run by JARVIS, but it was clear there was a distinctive difference between this alien tech and the tech on earth. There was a small access console near the front of the room which Bruce moved over to investigate. 

“Magnificent!” Bruce exclaimed, admiring the system. It didn’t look any more advanced than something you would find on earth but the alien language on the screen made it made it difficult for Bruce to understand what anything meant. If only he had JARVIS, no doubt the A.I would be able to make sense of it, or at least potentially translate. “So this system controls all of the obedience disks on Sakaar?” He asked. 

“No, just the ones here in the arena. The ones for servants and laborers are at another location,” Brunnhilde replied. 

“There are more?” Bruce couldn’t believe just how bad things were on Sakaar and that he had remained ignorant to it for so long. He had been so focused on just surviving that he had failed to see the other people suffering around him. 

“Do you have a plan for shutting this one down?” Brunnhilde asked, joining him.

He nodded. “Yes, it involves a very delicate and methodical reprogramming that even the Grandmaster himself won’t be able to solve until we’re long gone.”

“Really?” She asked excitedly. 

Bruce nodded and stepped back from the mainframe. “Just need to find the best access point.” He stepped back from the console and looked around before nodding and deciding on his best approach. “Okay, I’ve got it,” Bruce said with a smile. The smile turned to a grin as he hoisted the rifle up and fired a barrage of shots into every part of the mainframe. Smoke and fire erupted as sparks flew out of the destroyed machinery.

Brunnhilde let out a shout of surprise and laughed as Bruce lowered the weapon. Laughing himself and nodding at her they ran from the room. 

“I was expecting something a bit more sophisticated than that,” she laughed.

“Whatever works,” he replied with a grin.

It wasn’t long before they reached the entrance to the gladiator cells and one shot from the rifle took the door off its hinges. Stepping over the threshold behind Brunnhilde, Bruce could see the dirty, disgusting holding cell in which the other gladiators were being kept. 

His hand covered his mouth in shock. Of course the streets and marketplace of the common people had not been as nice as the palace in which the Hulk lived but this was worse. No natural lighting, no furniture, nothing. Just the cold hard metal floor and the discarded remains of people who had died in captivity. 

Handing the rifle over to Korg, a Kronan, the Gladiators raised up and began to file out of the room yelling comments of revolution and revenge. It was clear that there was a deep hatred for the Grandmaster between them and they were all eager to join the cause without any persuasion.

Brunnhilde went to leave after them but stopped when she saw Bruce was still standing alone looking at the cells. 

“They’ve been down here this whole time, haven’t they?” He asked quietly. 

“Yes.”

“While we’ve been up there, enjoying hot tubs and sleeping in a proper bed. They’ve been down here. Caged like animals,” Bruce was becoming agitated, how could he have missed this, how could he have been so blind? He could feel the Hulk stirring inside him, but it was a sadness not anger. The conflicting emotions made Bruce feel slightly sick as he continued to look around the cell. Of course he didn’t blame the Hulk for not realizing the state in which the other gladiators were kept. It was himself he was angry at, for not realizing earlier the state in which Sakaar truly operated. 

“Bruce, it’s not your fault-” She reached out to him. 

His hand moved to the green beads around his neck. “The Grandmaster tricked the Hulk all this time. Made him think he had a life here, but it was all a lie.” His fingers absentmindedly traced the patterns on the beads. “I should have done something sooner, I should have realized-” He raised his voice now, his anger beginning to build.

“We did what we had to do to survive!” Brunnhilde responded in a clam but firm voice. “And so did they. You’re not the only one who regrets this.” She gestured around the room. “When I met the Hulk I was so glad that he was willing to fight, that he wouldn’t be locked down here with the others. For once I felt like I had made someone’s life better. And in return he made my life better.” She placed her hand on his arm and gripped tightly, causing him to look her in the eyes. “And look, we’re making it right. They’re free now, ready to fight for their lives. Together, with Thor’s help we can make a difference, but only if we get out there and help them now.” 

Bruce could hear the sincerity in her voice. She released her grip from his arm and instead held it out for him to take, looking down at it and back to her eyes he nodded and took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there has been a delay between chapters, but I am still working on this when I can and I have plenty more chapters planned for you all! Thanks to everyone who is reading!


	24. Airborne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“This looks like a gun,” he said, more to convince himself than anything else. Without another moment's hesitation, he hit the button._
> 
>  
> 
> _Suddenly lights and music erupted in the cabin and a vision of the Grandmaster appeared on the holographic HUD in front of him._
> 
>  
> 
> _“It’s my birthdaaaaaay! It’s my birthdaaaaaay!”_

The gladiators surged through the arena, arming themselves with equipment from the armoury and attacking any guard they came across. It was obvious that the Grandmaster’s guards stood no chance against the powerful gladiators that they had been holding prisoner for so many years. Without the obedience disks keeping the prisoners in line the Grandmaster’s forces were helpless. 

Bruce watched with conflicting emotions as Brunnhilde dragged him back towards her ship.

“Should we help them?” Bruce yelled over the sound of gunshots and screams as they burst out onto the street. Part of him felt that he should help, the Hulk’s strength would turn the tide of battle even heavier in their favor.

“They’ll be fine,” she yelled in reply and looked back over her shoulder at him. They made eye contact for a second and it was clear that she understood what was going through his head. Pulling him behind cover she grabbed him and looked directly into his eyes. “Don’t even think about transforming.”

“But the Hulk could-” Bruce began.

“Alert every guard in the city to your whereabouts and the Grandmaster himself. If the Grandmaster joins this battle even the Hulk won’t be able to stop him.”

“What makes you think the Grandmaster won't just kill them all anyway?” Bruce argued.

“He won't join the battle unless it's to find you. He's smart enough to see through this distraction. Only the Hulk will be enough to draw him out personally.” She looked around them, almost as if she was paranoid they might see the Grandmaster standing right in front of them. 

“I can’t let people die because of me, there have been too many already,” Bruce protested. “This is all happening because I don't want to fight for the Grandmaster anymore!” He tried to pull away but her grip was tight and she kept him in place.

“Look,” Brunnhilde stated pointing towards the crowded street. “It’s not just them, it’s everyone. Everyone is willing to fight for this cause.” 

Bruce looked around at the chaos that was starting to break out in the city. Citizens were fleeing and ducking for cover as the gladiators surged out of the arena and onto the streets. But as he watched he noticed something else, Scrappers and other citizens arming themselves and rallying alongside the gladiators. 

“They wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for us. They’ll do what they need to, and so will we.” Without waiting for him to respond she pulled at his arm and headed in the direction of her ship. Bruce let her pull him through the chaos but the whole time he could not stop thinking about how badly the Grandmaster wanted the Hulk returned to him. No one had ever wanted the Hulk that badly and neither him nor the Hulk understood how to process the information. They had spent two years living within the Grandmaster's palace, letting him fawn over them and obeying his commands and now they were doing everything in their power to escape him. A small part deep inside of him felt strangely happy that the Grandmaster wanted him back so bad, but he squashed that feeling down and tried to ignore it. 

Once they had taken off, Bruce could see the revolution was spreading but as they flew further from the arena he could see the Hulk celebrations still underway and a sea of green still blanketed the streets. The people celebrating had no idea about what was happening and that their festivities were about to be interrupted. He wished he could warn them, tell them to get off the streets. 

“If everything went according to plan then Thor should have the Grandmaster’s ship by now,” Brunnhilde said, trying to sound reassuring. Weaving in and out through buildings Brunnhilde maneuvered them towards the edge of the city. 

Then, projected across the sky an image of the Grandmaster appeared. “My loyal Skaarains! The Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship and my favorite champion.”

Bruce’s mouth fell open staring at the huge visage of the Grandmaster towering over the city. The Hulk stirred inside at hearing him referred to as the Grandmaster’s ‘favorite’. 

“Sakarrians, take to the skies, bring him down! Do not let him leave this planet,” The Grandmaster ordered and Bruce watched as ships started ascending into the sky all around them. 

“Dammit!” Brunnhilde yelled at seeing the fleet of Sakarrian ships that were now joining them in the skies. 

Bruce couldn’t believe the lengths the Grandmaster was going to in order to have the Hulk returned to him. How could the Hulk mean that much to him that he would mount a planet wide search? He knew he needed to get away, if the Grandmaster caught him now they would never be able to escape, the Grandmaster would make sure of that. Bruce was somewhat thankful that the Hulk’s compliancy all these years had made the Grandmaster lax in his security measures. If not for that they wouldn’t have even gotten this far in their escape plan. 

Slowly the Grandmaster's words sunk in, _stolen_. Did the Grandmaster know that the Hulk had actually run away or was this just more of the rhetoric being used to villainize Thor? What would the Grandmaster say if he knew the truth? Would he put a stop to their escape personally if he knew that the Hulk was actively trying to escape? Perhaps he thought the Hulk would object to his ‘kidnap’ and simply return willingly to the Grandmaster.

“Look there!” Brunnhilde yelled, pointing at a ship that was attempting to gun down a smaller but still impressive ship. It had a small body and a circular front painted in red and yellow.

Brunnhilde swooped down and fired on the enemy, catching the pilot unaware and dealing a fatal blow to the craft. She dived under the resulting explosion and continued to trail behind Thor’s stolen ship.

“Good shot,” Bruce complimented her. 

“Thanks,” she replied, but kept her attention on the task at hand. She opened the comms system between her and Thor’s ship. “Open the doors,” she ordered through the intercom to him. 

Ahead of them, Bruce could see that the underside of the stolen ship was opening. Overheard Brunnhilde had opened the cockpit to their own ship and was now maneuvering her ship underneath Thor’s. What was Brunnhilde planning to do, Bruce wondered as the wind whipped around them. Perhaps the two ships had a way of docking together that would allow them climb up inside to the other. Bruce was unsure how successful this would be considering how fast they were both moving. 

“If anything happens, don’t come back for me.”

“What?” Bruce yelled over the roar of the wind. 

“Just get yourself off Sakaar, don’t worry about me.”

Before he could reply, Bruce suddenly shot up into the air, flailing wildly as he soared upwards. Sailing through the open doors of the other ship, he hit the roof with a thump and fell back to the floor. But the speed Thor’s ship was travelling at combined with the fact there was nothing to hang on to caused Bruce to slide across the floor. His legs fell out of the open hatch and he held on desperately as they soared high above the city. A fall from here would definitely result in a transformation but he knew that couldn’t happen, he had to hang on. 

Just as he managed to start pulling himself up the ship jarred suddenly to the left and a spray of laser blasts streamed past the underside of the ship. Risking a look, Bruce could see that more ships were pursuing them now. He could also see just how high up they were, he snapped his eyes shut, but inside his head the Hulk was there, reassuring him, he could do this. Summoning all his strength, Bruce pulled himself up unto the deck. 

He felt barrage of bullets hit the ship, causing him to stumble slightly as he got to his feet. 

“Shouldn’t we be shooting back or something?” He yelled at Thor, who looked like he was enjoying every moment of this life or death flight. 

“Yes we should,” Thor agreed. “Where are the guns on this ship?” Thor asked.

“There aren’t any,” Brunnhilde’s voiced crackled over the comms. “It’s a leisure vessel.”

“What?” Bruce yelled, finally making it into the cockpit alongside Thor.

“The Grandmaster uses it for his good times! Orgies and stuff,” she replied. 

“Did she just say he uses it for orgies?” Bruce asked Thor, clinging to the back of pilot’s chair. 

“Yeah,” Thor confirmed in a slightly disgusted voice. “Don’t touch anything.”

Bruce resisted the urge to let go of the chair he was holding onto but was suddenly aware that he had been sliding around on the floor earlier. He supposed he had worse things to worry about at the moment than what people had been getting up to on the floor of this ship. 

As they flew closer and closer to the outskirts of the city, they noticed that one of the pursing ships was being particularly persistent in its chase. It was currently pursuing Brunnhilde relentlessly and barely seemed to care about Thor and Bruce’s escape. 

As the pursing ship sailed past them in pursuit of Brunnhilde, Bruce caught a glimpse of the pilot. Topaz.

 _Of course,_ Bruce thought to himself. The only person who would care more about their personal grudge than bringing the Hulk back. Topaz was ruthless enough to go after Brunnhilde and simply claim it was collateral damage in her hunt for the Hulk. 

Topaz’s laser cannons landed a direct hit on Brunnhilde's ship causing one of the engines to erupt and smoke to start billowing out. Brunnhilde attempted to pilot with only one engine but it quickly became clear that her ship was no longer responding to controls. 

“Get out of there!” Bruce yelled so that she would hear him over comms but there was no reply from the other end. 

Topaz fired again and this time it was a direct shot. Brunnhilde’s ship exploded in a torrent of fire. 

“No!” Bruce and Thor screamed in unison out of shock. 

Bruce gripped the seat tightly as he felt the Hulk flare up inside of him, his skin was starting to prickle and the noise the Hulk was making in his head so unbearable he thought he might pass out. 

His panic was quickly relieved however as a small figure came sailing towards them through the air. Brunnhilde landed with a thud against their windshield, sword gripped tightly in one hand and hanging onto the ship with her other. 

Relief washed over Bruce and the Hulk calmed inside him. He realised he shouldn’t have been so worried, of course it would take more than that to bring her down. 

“Get inside!” Thor yelled at her.

More ships had appeared behind them and were firing relentlessly. It would take some expert piloting to out maneuver them and reach the wormhole without being shot down. Of all three of them, Brunnhilde stood best chance of getting them safely off the planet. 

Brunnhilde cast a look back at their attackers before turning back to Thor and Bruce. “In a minute,” she replied and without another word, climbed up the exterior of the ship. 

After a short pause, they heard the sound of an explosion and saw one of the enemy ships falling out of the air. 

“Wow,” Bruce's mouth hung open as he realised that she was taking down each ship personally. He was still so in awe of her abilities. 

“I'd better get out there and help her,” Thor stated climbing out of the pilot's seat. “You take over,” he said pushing Bruce into the pilot's seat. 

“Shouldn't I help too?” Bruce asked, watching Thor as he made his way to the open hatch. 

“You’re a scientist,” Thor called over his shoulder, “use your science to fly the ship closer to the wormhole.”

“That’s not how science works!” Bruce yelled at him, but relented and turned his attention to flying the ship. 

Bruce looked over the controls, none of them resembled the ones in Brunhilde's ship but he supposed that the principle would be the same. He was going to have to ask her about the different models of alien ships later, considering how many he was encountering. A completely untapped area of research just waiting to be explored. Pulling himself out of that line of thought he focused on the task at hand.

Soaring out over the wastelands, Bruce dodged and weaved throughout the mountains of scrap and the relentless steams of junk that descended out of the wormholes above. If he ever got back to earth he would have to challenge Clint to a race in Quinjets. He was sure none of the other Avengers would believe he could pilot a ship like this. 

Brunnhilde and Thor were doing their best to destroy as many as the pursing ships as possible but a few persistent ones were tailing him. If it wasn’t for the shield system on the Grandmaster’s ship Bruce was sure he would have been shot out of the sky by now. 

As he swerved throughout the scrap heaps he managed to lose several of the ships tailing him, but Topaz was unrelenting in her pursuit of him. He knew that with his mediocre pilot skills there was no way he would be able to lose her. 

“Come on,” he said to himself, poking around at all the controls on the console. “There’s got to be a gun on this thing.” He didn’t care what it was, he just needed something, _anything_ that would give him the edge he needed to escape. 

Spotting a large button marked with a symbol that resembled an explosion he bit his tongue nervously between his teeth and considered it. He had no idea what it did, but it looked big and important. 

“This looks like a gun,” he said, more to convince himself than anything else. Without another moment's hesitation, he hit the button. 

Suddenly lights and music erupted in the cabin and a vision of the Grandmaster appeared on the holographic HUD in front of him. 

_“It’s my birthdaaaaaay! It’s my birthdaaaaaay!”_

The holographic Grandmaster was singing and fireworks began to erupt out of every exterior orifice of the ship. The music was so loud that it drowned out the noise of the fireworks but Bruce could see the multicolored explosions all around him. 

He looked around wildly in shock at the spectacle. No matter how much he discovered about the Grandmaster there was always something more to the man waiting to shock and awe. 

Bruce noticed through the fireworks and music that the assault on the ship had stopped. Topaz had stopped firing on him, probably distracted by the fireworks display. 

As the Grandmaster continued to sing about his birthday, Bruce realised he could use this absurd situation to his advantage. Ahead of him was a huge pylon, sticking out of a huge pile of junk. If he timed this maneuver right, he could shake off Topaz and make a break for the wormhole. 

Accelerating as fast as the ship would allow he made a direct course for the pylon, gripping the controls tightly as he sped closer and closer towards it. As he rushed dangerously close to it he could hear his heart pounding over the sound of the music, he could feel the Hulk’s attentiveness, ready to transform if it all went wrong. 

At the last second Bruce jarred the controls right, causing the ship to divert and narrowly miss the pylon. Behind him his pursuer had not been so lucky. The trail of fireworks had clouded Topaz’s vision, leaving no time for her to turn. Her ship rammed the pylon at full force and broke apart, sending debris and ship remains scattering across the wasteland. 

“Yeah!” Bruce let out a triumphant shout as he realised that his plan had worked. He had succeeded without the help of a super being or the Hulk, in a situation he never would have thought possible. Now there was nothing standing between him and escape. 

He hit the birthday button on the console again, causing the music, lights and fireworks to subside. 

Thankfully it wasn’t long before the two Asgardians sailed up through the open hatch and joined him in the ship. Brunnhilde hit the button on the console to close the hatches and Bruce made to get up out of the pilot’s seat to make way for her. 

She put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down into the seat.

“No, you do the honors”, she said with a smile. “Get us off this planet.” 

He returned the smile and focused his attention back on the wormhole. As his friends strapped themselves into the passenger seats he pulled down on the controls and set them soaring upwards towards the heart of the collapsing star. Bruce didn’t get a chance to look back before the blue sky and wasteland disappeared as they plunged into the dense red storm clouds.

As they flew closer into the center of the wormhole the debris started to become thicker, colliding with the ship and causing them to be knocked around. Bruce held the ship as steady as he could while Brunnhilde and Thor shouted encouragement from behind him. 

Suddenly, he felt the pull from the other side of the wormhole as it sucked them through.

This was it, he was leaving Sakaar for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are off of Sakaar! But this is not the end! I have my own plans for what happens next and I hope you're all on board for it. Next chapter will be on Asgard like the film but after that it's all me.


	25. A People, Not A Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“This stupid dog won't die!” Brunnhilde yelled, ceasing her fire._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _Looking down over the scene caused a new kind of fire inside himself and the Hulk, watching the crowd of people cower. Fenris was running now, unobstructed by Brunnhilde’s attack. It wouldn’t be long before she was attacking the Asgardians. It was clear the plan was not going as intended, it was time for him to act._
> 
>  
> 
> _Bruce threw off his shirt, jacket and beads as he ran to the back of the ship._
> 
>  
> 
> _“I got this,” he yelled to Brunnhilde as he dived out of the open doors._

He had fallen unconscious at some point as they traveled through the wormhole but now that he stirred, Bruce could see that they were no longer inside the swirling vortex but rather peacefully drifting through space. 

Beside him he could see that Brunnhilde and Thor were also beginning to stir.

“Where are we?” he slurred, feeling the after effects of passing out. He pushed himself back up in his chair and focused on the view in front of him.

As he stared, Bruce suddenly realised the full majesty of what was before him. The stars, planets and vast nebulas that were infinitely stretching before him. His mouth hung open as he gazed out at the beautiful sight before him. Even Thor and Brunnhilde looked like they amazed at what they were seeing. 

“It’s been so long since I left Sakaar,” Brunnhilde said quietly, “I’d forgotten how beautiful it was out here.” 

Bruce nodded in agreement. Back when he was living on Earth he never would have dreamed of seeing such things. He used to look up at the stars when he was on the run but now he was out here, amongst them.

“We’re not far from Asgard,” Thor stated with a sense of urgency in his voice. He unbuckled his belt and moved to the front of the ship. 

Bruce gave up his seat to Thor, he was much more interested in staring out at the stars than piloting the ship the rest of the way. He continued to stare out the windshield as Thor flew them in the direction of Asgard.

 

Eventually Thor yelled, “There!” and pointed out excitedly ahead of them.

Bruce was unsure how many impossibly beautiful things he was going to see today but ahead of him was another. Suspended in space, was Asgard, mountains and city sitting proudly atop the world with torrents of water streaming down the edges on all sides. It looked impossible, a beautiful paradise sitting among the vast collection of constellations. It was one of the most magnificent sights Bruce had ever seen. As they flew closer the stars disappeared and the sky turned to blue once they broke through the clouds.

Bruce looked down at Brunnhilde, he could see the wonder in her eyes, the flood of emotion at finally seeing her home again after so long. Thor was staring ahead intently but his brow was furrowed and his eyes scanned the city. Thor had warned them about Hela but Bruce was not sure what to expect. 

“I never thought I’d be back here,” Brunnhilde said, looking out over her old home. Bruce reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly. 

As they drew closer, Bruce could see that something was definitely wrong and why Thor was so on edge. In the center of the city was a giant golden palace that stood taller than all the surrounding mountains with the city stretching out around it to meet them and the sea. It would have been beautiful, if not for the thick black smoke that was pouring out of the streets and the fire that was engulfing some of the buildings. 

“From one ruined city to another,” Bruce mumbled. Despite the fact he was on Asgard he couldn’t stop thinking about the poor people on Sakaar that he had left in rebellion. “Where is everyone?” He asked, suddenly aware that he couldn’t see any people down below. Thor had always described Asgard as such a lively and inviting place, but that was not the city he could see before him.

“Here, up in the mountains,” Brunnhilde said, looking at the scanner. “Heat signatures. People clustered together. Hela’s coming for them.”

“Drop me off at the Palace and I’ll draw her away,” Thor instructed, looking at both of them.

“And get yourself killed?” Brunnhilde replied. Bruce noticed the concern in her voice. It was the first time he had heard her speak with concern to anyone but himself or the Hulk. 

“The people trapped down there are all that matters,” Thor stated, “While I’m dealing with Hela, I need you two to help get everyone off Asgard.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Bruce asked, looking around at their tiny ship. There was no way everyone would fit in here and as far as Bruce knew Asgardians didn’t have their own form of spaceships.

“I have a man on the ground,” Thor replied.

“Heimdall?” Brunnhilde asked, a small hint of excitement in her voice. 

Thor looked at her and gave her a small grin, nodding. 

They flew down to the palace and opened the rear doors of the ship. Thor told them to wait while he fetched some artillery for them from the armory. He returned shortly, hoisting a large canon up into their ship before exchanging a few words with Brunnhilde. Bruce did his best to give them some privacy and not listen in on their conversation, but he could still hear the concern in Brunnhilde’s voice as she called “Don’t die,” to Thor as the ship pulled away.

They knew that the only way out of the Asgard was through the Bifrost, so the citizens would have no other choice but to head for it. However, Hela also knew it was the only way out so would no doubt have set a trap for them. 

“Hela doesn’t know we’re here,” Brunnhilde stated as she scuffled around in the back of the ship. Bruce was too busy keeping them in the air to see what she was doing but he assumed she was preparing for whatever plan of attack she had formulated. “So we wait for her to spring whatever trap she has set for the Asgardians, then we destroy it. In the confusion we’ll be able to evacuate everyone.”

“We can hide in that cloud cover,” Bruce said, “We’ll be able to see the Asgardians when they start crossing the Bifrost but we’ll be hidden from Hela.” 

“Good plan,” Brunnhilde said proudly as she appeared at his side in the cockpit. 

Bruce’s mouth fell open as she stood beside him, dressed in grey and gold armor, a bright blue cape hanging from her shoulders. He had always considered her fierce looking, but this was something else, she looked comfortable, commanding, holding herself in a way he had never seen before. 

“Like it?” She asked, seeing his expression. “Valkyrie armor.”

“Incredible!” He replied, happy to see how proud she looked to be wearing it. 

As Bruce positioned them near enough to the Bifrost so that they could jump into action he took a moment to appreciate the view in front of him. The rainbow bridge that stretched out across the sea that in reality, was a gateway through the stars. A gateway that could take him straight home to Earth in seconds. If he had not seen Thor use it after their battle in Manhattan he never would have believed it possible. Wormholes, Bifrosts, everything he had seen today really did make him realise how small and cut off earth was from the rest of the universe. 

Tony was right, this was the end game, worlds like Asgard and Sakaar were looming on the horizon and Earth wouldn’t stand a chance against either of them if they chose to cross over. The thought made Bruce shiver but he was interrupted by Valkyrie pointing across him to something outside. 

“Do you see that mountain?” She asked in a soft voice. 

Bruce looked over to where she was pointing. A smaller mountain on the outskirts of the city, nestled at the base of two much larger peaks. He nodded.

“Sigrún and I used to sneak up there after dark when we both lived in the Valkyrie barracks.”

Bruce could see the bittersweet expression on her face. The memory of an old lover who she had lost at the hands of Hela. 

“I should have done something,” Brunnhilde whispered, her fists clenching. “I shouldn’t have run, I should have fought until my last breath. I could have stopped this, _all this_.” She gestured out over the city. “This is all my fault.”

“No,” Bruce replied taking her hand in his. “This is not you. This is Hela, she did this to them.” 

“But I’m the one who abandoned them to begin with.”

“Remember what you just told me on Sakaar?” Bruce asked firmly. “People are willing to fight for what is theirs, the responsibility doesn't lie solely with you. Your people, down there, the Asgardians, they would do anything to protect their home. What matters the most is the role you have in saving them now.”

She looked over at him and exhaled heavily before nodding firmly. “You’re right,” she said. “This time I will do my duty.” 

He squeezed her hand tightly but her expression changed and she withdrew her hand, pointing down below them. “Here they come.” She climbed out of her chair and ran back to the cannon that was pointing out of the rear doors. 

Bruce focused his attention on the people below, there was a large crowd being led by a single figure, Heimdall, he presumed. There was nothing blocking their way that he could see, just the long walk across the Bifrost bridge. 

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Brunnhilde yelled from behind him. “Hela will not let them go this easy.”

The crowd made their way quickly across the bridge but as they reached the halfway point the movement stopped and they began pointing at something ahead of them. Bruce hadn’t seen it at first, but now he could, moving out of the observatory at the end.

“There’s something big down there,” Bruce stated. “Bigger than a person.” 

“I have a bad feeling I know what that is.” Brunnhilde called back. “Stay in position, we’ll need every advantage we can to defeat it.”

“What is it?” Bruce asked, the hairs on his arms starting to prick up as the Hulk became increasingly interested in the foe they would be fighting. 

“Fenris,” Brunnhilde stated.

“Fenris? Like, a wolf?” He hadn’t expected _that_. 

“Yes, a direwolf Hela used to ride into battle. Now stay sharp,” she called, “this isn't going to be easy.” 

Bruce could see that Fenris was starting to advance on the citizens who were now trying to retreat as the direwolf barreled towards them. This was it, their opportunity to catch Fenris off guard and de-rail Hela’s plans. He hit the thrusters, diving in towards the bridge and turning broadside so that Brunnhilde's cannon lined up. She unleashed a barrage of bullets at the creature. It snarled and howled at them in frustration as Brunnhilde continued to fire repeatedly at it. 

The Asgardians were retreating back down the bridge but now Bruce could also see that a something else was flanking the them at the bridge’s entrance. A single man wielding a large axe was leading what looked like an army of skeletons. The people began to cling at one another and look around in distress. The Hulk was getting restless inside him, the sight of innocent people in trouble was stirring him, urging Bruce to act. 

“They're trapped!” Bruce informed Brunnhilde. He watched as several men stepped forward, swords drawn to meet the skeletal army. 

So many innocent people who were just getting caught in the crossfire, none of them deserved this. Both the Sakaarians and Asgardians had found themselves in danger through no fault of their own. He could barely stand it now, the Hulk was screaming in his head to help.

“This stupid dog won't die!” Brunnhilde yelled, ceasing her fire. 

Looking down over the scene caused a new kind of fire inside him and the Hulk, watching the crowd of people cower. Fenris was running now, unobstructed by Brunnhilde’s attack. It wouldn’t be long before he was on them. It was clear the plan was not going as intended, it was time for him to act.

Bruce threw off his shirt, jacket and beads as he ran to the back of the ship. 

“I got this,” he yelled to Brunnhilde as he dived out of the open doors. 

She called something out behind him as he jumped but he didn’t hear it. The wind whistled in his ears as he sailed down towards the Bifrost, his flesh erupting in patches of green and his muscles expanding as the Hulk took control. It was exhilarating, to know that he didn’t have to worry about surrendering control so easily, that he and the Hulk were one.

The bridge cracked under his weight as he landed and the Hulk rose to his full height so that he blocked the path to the Asgardians from Fenris.

Fenris snarled and bared her teeth before howling at the Hulk. The Hulk retaliated with his own ferocious roar, he wasn’t afraid of this beast despite it being much larger than him. It just meant that she was more of a match.

He could hear a murmur from the crowd behind him, they were clearly surprised and uncertain of his appearance. He looked back and saw a few of them step back in concern but he flashed them a grin.

“Hulk stop big dog,” he rumbled. “People escape.” 

Without another word he dived at Fenris dodging as the beast snapped its large jaws at him. Her teeth were sharp but it would take a lot of strength for them to pierce the Hulk's tough skin. He grabbed her around the neck and threw her away from the crowd, giving chase and unleashing a punch to her side before she could recover. 

Fenris howled with pain but climbed back to her feet and dove at the Hulk. He braced himself but the bridge underneath him wasn’t meant to handle this much weight and he lost his footing as the surface shattered beneath him. As he fell he managed to seize a handful of fur and was able to pull the beast down with him. 

They fell towards the water below, still attempting to punch and bite one another as they did. Hitting the water, they fell beneath the surface. The water was cold and cloudy, but luckily Fenris was taking more time to recover from the fall. The Hulk lashed out, trying to push her back beneath the surface. 

They continued to fight, Fenris attempting to bite at his limbs while the Hulk used his advantage of moving easier in the water to dodge and unleash blow after blow. 

As he grabbed the her jaws in an attempt to subdue her the two of them were interrupted by the loudest crack of thunder the Hulk had ever heard. The sky overhead darkened and lightning streaked across the sky and down towards the bridge. It was just like when he and Thor had fought in the arena and he realised that Thor must have joined the battle to help save the people.

The Hulk stared up in amazement but Fenris had not been so easily distracted. The wolf’s teeth sunk into his thigh and the Hulk roared in pain. He gripped at Fenris’ head with both hands and pried the beast’s jaws open before slamming it into some nearby rocks. 

There was no one around to watch his fight but in his mind he could hear the cheer of the crowd on Sakaar, supporting and cheering for him to fight. Combined with the knowledge that both Thor and the Angry Girl were up on the bridge fighting too gave him the flare to power on. Forgetting the wound on his thigh he dived at the beast once again.

As they fought, suddenly the Hulk could hear Banner’s voice inside, drawing his attention to something. The current was pushing them closer and closer towards the edge of Asgard. If they stayed like this they would be in danger of falling off the edge, but the Hulk was too occupied fighting to be able to do anything about it. 

He was caught off guard as Fenris seized him by the leg and began to toss him around like he was nothing, like the Hulk had done to so many people in the past. She held him under the water, dragging him along and causing his head to crack against the rocks beneath them. He attempted to grab wildly at the beast’s jaw but the angle was wrong and he couldn’t reach. 

Fenris’ teeth sunk deep into his leg this time and he let out a roar of pain into the water that no one heard. Green blood was pouring out from the wound and the Hulk couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his own blood. He flailed wildly again attempting to grab hold of something, anything, but the current was too strong now and they were both being swept towards the edge of the world.

_Don’t give up!_ Bruce yelled in their mind. _We can do this._

With this encouragement from Banner he reared back and followed through with a punch directly to Fenris’ snout. She howled in pain and released his leg. He watched as she lost her footing on the rocks and slipped out of view over the edge.

The Hulk attempted to swim against the current now that he was free, but the pain in his leg was too much and he couldn’t concentrate on coordinating his kicks. 

The edge was here now and he was swept off the side, grabbing at whatever rocks he could to try and get a foothold. The water was beating down on him and the rocks were slippery but he managed to catch a hold of one, trying to put weight on his leg to push himself up but the wound hadn’t healed yet and the pain was too intense. 

He let out a roar of pain and slipped, falling several meters before grabbing another rock. The water continued to beat down on him mercilessly and as he looked up he could see how far away he was from the edge. 

He was breathing heavily, he didn’t know if he could do this. If he slipped again that would be it, he’d fall for sure. He made another attempt to reach up but the relentless beat of the water against him made it hard. He could feel his blood oozing down his leg and being swept away by the water, he was not used to the sensation and it distracted him. 

“Too hard,” the Hulk said, about to give up. 

He had protected the people from Fenris. Wasn’t that enough? The Angry Girl and Thor would look after them now. He had fulfilled his goal so perhaps this was for the best anyway? He wasn’t on Asgard anymore and they were so far from Earth, what if this was how it was meant to be? 

_This isn’t how it ends for us._ Banner told him. 

“Hulk can’t do it!” He yelled. “Too hard, Hulk only smash things.”

_No. You are so much more than that. Think of everything we’ve done together. If I can survive on Sakaar then you can survive this!_

The Hulk took another desperate look up above him before nodding. 

Reaching up, one hand at a time, he slowly pulled himself back up the side of the rock face, Banner cheering him on every step of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for the events of Ragnarok! But starting next chapter I'll be taking this in my own direction. So stick around if you want to see what happens next and whether Bruce gets back to Earth, and Tony!


	26. Beginning Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He held out his hand to Loki, offering him a kind smile. “A new beginning,” Bruce offered._
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> _Loki looked down at Bruce’s hand cautiously. “This isn’t a trap is it?” He asked, slowly reaching out._
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> _Bruce chuckled. “No, not a trap.”_

The Hulk stood beside his friends, watching Asgard’s final moments before it was destroyed at the hand of the giant fiery monster. He was still disgruntled that Thor and Angry Girl hadn’t allowed him to fight it but he and Banner felt.a sadness for his friends, seeing them react to their home being destroyed. They had all fought hard but Asgard was no more. 

After several minutes of emotional silence, Thor stood to address the Asgardians. His jaw was clenched but he exhaled, and stood firm in front of his people. 

“My people, my friends, we have lost a great deal today,” Thor stated, “but we mustn't forget that we still have each other. Asgard is a people, not a place.”

Hulk found an odd comfort in these words. He had never had his own home, not until Sakaar, but it was Brunnhilde and the people of Sakaar that had made it his home, not the place itself. Despite the fact they were no longer on Sakaar, he still felt a comfort at the presence of his friends. 

“And as long as we are alive,” Thor continued, “my brother and I promise that we will protect you all.” He gestured to Loki who bowed slightly to the crowd. 

“Hulk too!” He said stepping forward. Back on the bridge he had risked everything to save the Asgardians, because they had needed him and that felt right. 

“Yes, you too my friend,” Thor said with a smile. “Asgard owes you a debt for all you did to protect our people from Hela. Without you the battle would not have been won.” 

There was a cheer from the crowd of Asgardians and the Hulk beamed at them. They looked up at him with adoration and he felt a swell of pride to have done all he could to protect them. It felt good to protect those who needed it. 

Thor told everyone that they would start sorting out space for them to live in during their flight to Midgard. There were a lot of people, but it was a large ship and there would be plenty of rooms to accommodate their numbers.

The Hulk looked around, although this room was large, the corridors had been small as he had walked here, hitting his head several times. Although he was happy to be around all of the Asgardians, the idea of spending a long amount of time on this ship that was clearly not designed for a being of his size was not appealing. 

Without a second thought he gave in to Banner, allowing himself to transform back into the smaller man who would be much more comfortable here than him. 

Brunnhilde was at Bruce’s side in an instant, catching him before he staggered to the ground.  
She unclasped her cloak and wrapped it around around him without hesitation. 

“You okay?” She asked. 

“Yeah. Thanks for this,” he said indicating the cape. He pulled it tighter around himself as he took his own weight. 

He could see several of the Asgardians were staring now, clearly intrigued by his transformation. He gave them a friendly wave. He was used to people staring now, but it was a relief that people weren’t afraid to see him transforming back from a huge monster. The Asgardians were more open minded in that aspect compared to the people of earth. 

“C’mon, let’s get you something to wear. I’m sure this ship has plenty of supplies.” Brunnhilde said.

As the crowd dispersed out of the room to find spaces to occupy the two friends followed behind. 

“What was this ship designed for?” Bruce asked as they made their way down a corridor. 

“Another leisure vessel, but this one is for prolonged trips into space. Slower than the Grandmaster’s personal ship but still well equipped for comfort.” 

“Kind of like a cruise ship,” Bruce speculated. 

She raised a questioning eyebrow him. 

“Like a giant boat that just, sails around on water.” 

“Sounds boring,” Brunnhilde stated. 

Bruce laughed, “Yeah, but relaxing I suppose. Maybe we should go on one when we get back to earth.” 

She shot him a curious look but her expression quickly dropped and she stepped ahead of him, quickening her pace. Bruce wasn’t exactly sure what he had said to warrant that response. He decided he would leave it for now, she had just lost her home, things were a little sensitive between everyone. 

It wasn’t long before Brunnhilde found a security office which the Grandmaster’s guards were normally posted inside.

“Ah hah!” She said, digging through a locker. “Spare uniform.” 

She held it out to him, a leather jumpsuit, emblazoned with multiple colors, in true keeping with the Grandmaster’s aesthetic. Bruce recognized it as the kind the palace guards were wearing under their armor.

Bruce gawked at her. “I can’t wear that!” He protested. 

“Why not?” She asked looking at it. “It’s just a jumpsuit. It’s very… Sakaar” She dumped it in his arms and returned to searching the locker. “Ah ha, matching boots,” she said happily. “I’ll leave you alone to change. Meet you in the corridor.” 

Bruce sighed, he supposed he had no choice. He dropped the cape, pulled off the tattered remains of Tony’s pants and stepped into the jumpsuit. It zipped up from the waist to his neck and sat tight against his skin. Wearing Tony’s pants now didn’t seem so bad in hindsight. He pulled on the boots and walked out of the room into the corridor where Brunnhilde was waiting for him. 

“Looking good,” she said raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, well I feel ridiculous,” he replied, handing her back the cape. “But it’s fine.”

They wandered around until they found Thor assisting a family into some living quarters.

“Look at you Banner!” Thor said when he caught sight of them. “Much better than those clothes of Stark's.” 

Bruce tilted his head at Thor in confusion, but decided to let it go. “Yeah, well, I lost them in the Grandmaster’s ship.” He looked up at them. “Which I assume was destroyed along with Asgard?” He thought it was a shame really, he had liked that ship. But he knew it didn’t compare with the loss everyone else was suffering. 

“Actually, no,” Loki cut in. “The Commodore is docked safely up top. I used it to return to the Statesmen after throwing Surtur’s crown in the eternal flame. I can take you there if you like?” 

Bruce resisted the urge to dismiss Loki instantly. He was still uneasy that Loki was now moving around freely on the ship. But If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t have made it off Asgard at all. 

“Sure,” Bruce replied. 

“I can go with you,” Brunnhilde offered quickly. 

Bruce saw the look she shot at Loki and it was clear that she didn’t want the two of them being alone together. 

“No, it’s okay,” Bruce assured her. “We’ll be fine on our own.”

Although Loki didn’t say anything Bruce could see the look of appreciation on his face. 

Loki led him through the corridors and up the elevator to the top deck. They found the docking bay and Loki gestured up a ladder that ran between the two ships. The Hulk stirred angrily in his mind but Bruce remained calm, this was no time to pick a fight. 

He climbed the ladder into the Commodore, pulling himself up onto the deck of the ship. Loki appeared behind him shortly after and Bruce shot him a curious look. He had never been alone with Loki, the Hulk had, but never like this. He wasn’t intimidated or scared like he would have been back on earth, instead he felt calm and controlled.

“So you’re a good guy now?” Bruce asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him. 

“There is more than just black and white, Bruce,” Loki answered. “My people, my brother, they needed my help, I did my duty.” 

Bruce wanted to believe it. He wanted to think that this man in front of him was capable of more than the destruction he caused on Earth. He looked around and supposed that the evidence spoke for itself, the Statesmen, the defeat of Hela, it wouldn’t have been possible without Loki’s help. 

He held out his hand to Loki, offering him a kind smile. “A new beginning,” Bruce offered. 

Loki looked down at Bruce’s hand cautiously. “This isn’t a trap is it?” He asked, slowly reaching out. 

Bruce chuckled. “No, not a trap.” 

Shaking Loki’s hand, Bruce could feel that the man was nervous. Inside his own mind the Hulk wanted to slam Loki around like he had all those years ago, and Bruce had to suppress a laugh. He was still getting used to having the Hulk’s thoughts so intrusive in his own.

It was weird how Loki spoke so fondly and poetically about the Hulk but when it came to actually seeing or dealing with him up close he was nervous. Bruce wanted to take advantage of being alone with Loki to finally get some answers. It was more likely he would talk if he knew his brother of Brunnhilde weren’t listening. 

“What’s your deal with the Hulk?” He asked. “That first moment we saw each other on the Helicarrier, I thought you just wanted to unleash him so you could escape. But then back in Brunnhilde’s apartment, what you said about him, what is that?”

Loki laughed, pulling his hand away. “The Hulk is… chaos. Pure unpredictable chaos. My brother thrives in battle, doing his duty and protecting the innocent. But I… I need something else. I’ve felt the Hulk’s raw power for myself all those years ago on Midgard and It was terrifying, but exhilarating. Just the idea of that much power being unleashed. For a god of mischief, it’s a beautiful thing.” 

Bruce had never heard anyone talk about the Hulk like this before. People had always wanted the Hulk for his power but the way Loki described it was something else. 

“And you,” Loki continued. “You house that madness in your head. Even right now, he’s in there but you keep him at bay.”

“Yeah and right now he’s very confused about the way you're talking about him,” Bruce admitted. 

“You know what he’s thinking?” Loki asked, astounded. 

“Not exactly,” Bruce replied with a chuckle. He was surprised at himself that he was even having this conversation with Loki. He normally didn’t speak this intimately about his relationship with the Hulk. “It’s more of a feeling, a sensation all of its own. It’s hard to describe, kind of like a Hulk sense. I only understand it because when he's in control I can communicate with him.” 

“He listens to you?” Loki asked. It was like he was looking at Bruce for the first time, a whole new kind of perspective forming.

“That's more of a new thing between us. But I'm always 'awake’ in a sense when he's in control. He needs context about the world and how things work within it. Our brain shares a lot of information. It's very complex, sorry I can't explain it better.

“It's fine,” Loki stated. “I'm glad you were willing to share with me at all.”

“Well, I know that both the Hulk and I are relieved to have you on our side of the chaos from now on.”

“Thank you, Bruce.” Loki replied. “I think I am too. Perhaps you and I can work together in the future.”

“I'd like that,” Bruce replied. 

He couldn't believe the words were coming out of his mouth. But with everything he'd seen and done recently this felt right. Loki deserved another chance and keeping him close was probably the best course of action. There was no doubt in Bruce’s mind that a god of mischief would change his ways overnight, but he would give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Bruce turned his attention back to the ship. Now that he wasn't fleeing a planet or fighting a giant wolf he could take the time to look around. 

Beyond the cockpit there was a small open room with sofas lining the walls and plush persian style carpeting on the floor. Unconventional for a spaceship but Bruce remembered that this ship was for more unconventional activities. There were two small rooms off either side of the one he was in. One led to a small storage room with what appeared to be stocked with all manner of things, the other was a bathroom. 

Beyond that sofa lined corridor was a circular room with a table and 4 high backed velour chairs. Several pictures of the Grandmaster hung on the walls alongside shelves of liquor. 

“I suppose we’re going to have to find a way to scrub this place down,” Bruce said to Loki. “There could be anything on these surfaces.”

“You Midgardians are so primitive.” Loki laughed. 

A noise from the other room alerted them both to the arrival of Thor and Brunnhilde. 

“I hope my brother hasn’t been giving you any trouble,” Thor stated entering the room. Brunnhilde was right behind him, craning her head to get a glimpse of both Bruce and Loki. Bruce realized that she must have been concerned leaving the two alone together.

“No, we’re great,” Bruce responded, smiling at Loki. “We were just looking around. This ship is actually quite, cosy, when you get past the ostentatious color scheme that is.” 

“Well, in that case, perhaps you should live in here Banner,” Thor said looking around. “It’s going to be a few weeks before we get close to Earth. You’ll need somewhere to sleep.” 

“Oh no, this is too much,” Bruce protested. “You should take it. You're the king of Asgard after all.”

“Yes, and I'll be staying in the Statesmen with my people,” Thor responded putting a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “Honestly Banner, it's fine. You could do with somewhere nice.”

“Hey, my apartment on Sakaar was nice.” 

“No it wasn't, the color scheme was terrible. It’s fine, there’s plenty of room on the Statesman for everyone, it’s actually very well equipped.” 

“Stay,” Brunhilde said reassuringly. “You can still spend all your time down there with us.”

Bruce even saw that Loki was nodding at him, so he conceded. He supposed he was living in here now. 

“I guess I can sleep on one of the couches,” Bruce said looking past Thor. He had definitely done worse than that before. 

“No need,” Brunnhilde stated, gesturing for them all to move back.

Once they were out of the way she approached a control panel on the wall. Hitting several of the buttons, Bruce watched as the table folded in on itself and reformed into a large circular bed. 

“Blankets are in there,” she said pointing at a door in the wall to their side. 

“I am pretty tired now that I think about it,” Bruce replied.

“You have every right to be,” Thor said reassuringly. “It’s been a busy couple of days.” 

“More like a busy couple of years,” Bruce muttered.

“Then we will leave you. Don’t worry about anything. We’re taking care of it.” 

The three asgardians left him and Bruce made his way into the cockpit, sitting in the pilot seat. He looked down at his outfit, then at the ship and the view of space out in front of him. He must look like a spaceman from those TV shows he used to watch as a kid. He wished he could take a photo to show the other Avengers. He smiled at the thought of them, it wouldn’t be long before he would see them all again anyway. They would finally be reunited, he could see Steve, Clint and Nat would surely laugh at his ‘spaceman’ outfit, and Tony... He would see Tony again and tell about him everything that had happened, everything he had learnt and done while he was away. 

Thinking of Tony made him remember the reason he had come to the Commodore in the first place. He lent down and gathered up the shirt that he had thrown off earlier. Nearby he found the beads and the jacket as well, and carried them back into the bedroom. 

He laid them down before gently folding the two garments and resting the beads safely on top of the pile. He placed them on a shelf at the side of the room. 

Proceeding to the small bathroom he found that it did in fact have a shower. Using the water sparingly, he washed himself off before wrapping the fluffiest towel ever around himself. He rolled his eyes at the beads and sequins that were sown into the edges of the towel. The Grandmaster really was all about showmanship, even down to the smallest detail, no matter how impractical. 

Once he was inside the bedroom, the doors slid closed behind him. He turned around and was greeted by a large portrait of the Grandmaster painted on the back of the doors. 

“That man really does love himself,” Bruce mumbled. 

He fetched a blanket and pillow out of the cupboard before pulling off his towel and laying on the bed. The pillow was soft and the blanket felt warm and comforting draped over him. He cocooned himself up, content in the knowledge that he didn’t have to move for anything. There would be no palace guards, Topaz or Grandmaster to disturb his sleep. 

But the best thing of all was that it was quiet. After such a long time of constant noise and activity, there was nothing. He was just still. Aliens, arenas, wolves, demons, it was all behind him. He didn’t have to fight for his life anymore he could just close his eyes, and sleep. 

-

When he woke up he had no idea how much time had passed but he didn’t care and that thought made him sigh contently, pulling the blankets up tighter around him and closing his eyes again. 

When he finally decided it was time to pull himself out of bed he stood stretching and running his toes through the plush carpet. It had been such a long time since he had felt something this soft with his own skin. He found his jumpsuit and zipped it up, chuckling, he still couldn’t believe _this_ was what he was going to be wearing from now on. 

Poking around in the storage room he found what appeared to be sealed containers of food. Having no idea what anything was, he picked one at random, and made his way to the cockpit. Taking a seat, he swung his legs up resting them on the chair across from him and inspected the contents of the container. Inside appeared to be some kind of rich tasting fruit. The Hulk surged with happiness at the familiarity of the flavor as Bruce ate, causing him to smile.

“Oh, you know this one huh?” He asked out loud.

It felt so bizarre to have acquired a taste and even have a favorite food from an alien planet. He had to agree with the Hulk though, it tasted delicious. 

“We won’t be able to get this on Earth,” he mused. “We’ll have to find out what food you like when we get back. Everyone is going to be so surprised when you start talking to them.”

He thought about the reactions the others would have at the Hulk’s increased language capabilities and well rounded attitude in general. Even he had changed so much, how would the others react to seeing him so relaxed compared to when he had left? Would his place in the group still be the same? What had even happened to the Avengers since he left?  
“There’s a lot of things we’re going to have to do once we get back,” Bruce continued aloud. “Catch up on all the news and world events for the past couple of years. Catch up on all the _tech_. No doubt Tony has invented a dozen new suits since we were last there.”

He put another piece of unknown fruit in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. 

“I wonder where I’m going to live. Tony said he was moving everyone out of the tower last time I saw him. I wonder what happened to all my stuff...” 

Not that it really mattered, he hardly cared about any of his possessions anymore but he wondered if it had all just been disposed of when he didn’t return. It just made the few things he did have even more precious to him. His beads from the Hulk parade that represented the love the people of Sakaar had for the Hulk, Tony’s Duran Duran t-shirt that was stained in green powder, even this ship, they were all tokens of everything he had achieved. 

It was dawning on him how different everything was going to be. He had no clear picture of what the future held when he finally returned to Earth. Had Tony moved on? Forgotten about him when he didn’t return home or show any sign of being alive. Thor had told him that everyone thought he was dead after the battle with Ultron. Perhaps he would be like a ghost when he returned, there but without any real place to belong. 

He shook his head, _no_ , he had just spent two years stranded on an Alien planet, returning to Earth was not going to be the difficult part. _Was it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my awesome Beta, Rerin! Thanks for all your feedback and help! <3
> 
> (Just a quick note that I've changed my username completely to the psud I was using. Just in case anyone was curious about the change.)


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